Poisonous Rain
by Black-eyed Youkai
Summary: Dr. Nii may have finally found a way to defeat the Sanzo Party for good. What will Sanzo do when the poison Nii spreads brings out the evil in all demons...regardless of power limiters and parentage? COMPLETED
1. Default Chapter

Well, this is my first Saiyuki fanfic so here goes... I might be bending the rules a bit with this one but hey, that's why they created the artistic license. So anyway, have fun with the wonderful chaos and cute wit I had to incorporate into this little tale. Enjoy, punks! Oh yeah, all characters in this story belong to Kazuya Minekura. (don't sue, lawyers are scary unless they're Will Truman. Mmm.)  
  
Black-Eyed Youkai presents:  
  
Poisonous Rain  
  
"IF YOU BOTH DON'T SHUT UP---!" BANG!!   
  
Sanzo was in another one of his good moods as he put away the smoking Smith & Wesson and Gojyo's ear was still ringing from the bullet that had just screamed by the right side of his head.  
  
"How come I'm always getting shot at?! Assface over here started it!"  
  
"And I'm going to finish it! For Gods' sake will you both shut your faces or get out!"  
  
"Wow Sanzo. You might want to be careful that vein in your forehead doesn't pop, ne?" Hakkai asked with a smile.  
  
"Ch."  
  
Gojyo grumbled at how Hakkai always got off easy and pulled out a cigarette. Putting his hand over the flame, Gojyo took a long, deep drag as the end of the cigarette lit. "I'll always be able to count on you my beloved cancer stick."  
  
"Sanzo can I come up front? I'm sitting back here with a lunatic."  
  
"What?" Gojyo asked confused, an eye twitching in irritation.  
  
Goku looked back to Gojyo. "Well, talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity, right?"  
  
"I wasn't talking to myself!"  
  
"Fine, you were talking to your cigarette! Even more of a reason to lock you up for talking to intimate objects!"  
  
Hakkai raised a finger as Gojyo burst out laughing (and almost choking on his cigarette). "Goku, I think you mean inanimate."  
  
Gojyo tried to catch his breath, "Damnit Goku! No wonder my cigarettes keep disappearing! Never thought you found little sticks so erotic! HAHA! Then again you do hang around San--" In a flash, the cold metal of the banishing gun was pressed hard against Gojyo's nose. Gojyo smiled nervously and held up his hands, "Heh... mercy?"  
  
"Not my forté, lech."  
  
***  
  
"You wanted to show me something, Nii? Know that you're wasting precious moments of my life right now so this better be good." Dr. Huang entered the lab in a foul mood that was always brought on by being in the presence of Dr. Nii Jenyi.  
  
Dr. Nii held up Bunny, "Hello there. Nii-sama has something you might like."  
  
"Oh please," Dr. Huang sighed as she crossed her arms.  
  
"Well grumpy are we?" Nii asked in an grating, strained voice. His words caused Dr. Huang's fists to clench as she tried to keep calm. Nii laughed, "What if I told you I may have found a way to finally and successfully destroy the Sanzo party?"  
  
"I'd say you're a load of shit," Dr. Huang bit back.  
  
"Alright then," Nii laughed. "But just to let you know, I ran the idea by Lady Koushu and she seemed very enthusiastic about it. So much in fact that she... left some marks." Nii twisted to scratch his back, flashing a sly smile at Dr. Huang. Her face flushed and she growled, "you're twisted."  
  
Nii simply held Bunny to Dr. Huang's face. "Jealous, hm? Well Dr. Nii made you a list of chemicals you need to get."  
  
"And why should I bother with this?"  
  
"Well, I think it'll earn you a lot more attention with the higher-up of your choice, namely your idol, Lady Koushu."  
  
Dr. Huang snatched the list from Nii's hands and stormed out of the lab, Nii's laughter echoing in the dimly lit room. "Goddamned freak."  
  
  
  
***  
  
"Hakkai, are you going to eat that?" Goku asked, eyes-a-sparkle as he salivated over the remaining three egg rolls on Hakkai's plate. It had been only ten minutes since the travelers had reached the town of Taih-Win and already Goku was praising himself that he found the best restaurant in the whole village.  
  
"Oh, no go ahead, Goku. They're yours."  
  
"But Hakkai, you've barely eaten anything other than some lo mein." Gojyo pointed out. "Damnit, monkey can't you just cut back a bit?"  
  
"Only if you cut back smoking."  
  
"Ch screw you, shit head."  
  
"Really, Gojyo, let's try to keep this conversation to a dull roar. I don't think Sanzo is in much of a mood to deal with this." Nor the rest of the room for that matter.  
  
"When is he ev--" Goku was cut short when Sanzo flashed him a quick death glare. Goku laughed nervously and decided to leave Hakkai and egg roll as he sat back in his chair with a new bowl of rice in his face.  
  
Gojyo grumbled, "How generous of you." Then looking to Hakkai he added, "Can't have our driver wasting away now can we, Hakkai?"  
  
Hakkai smiled, "I suppose not."  
  
***  
  
Dr. Huang stepped through the sliding metal doors into the dark, musty lab with required chemicals in hand. "You're lucky Nii, some of these were the last of their kind in the facility. Now I was wondering if you could possibly share this "genius" little plan of yours."  
  
"Do I sense a bit of spite in that last little statement?" Nii grinned at the agitation he threw upon Dr. Huang. "Well I don't see why not. But please, take a seat."  
  
"I highly doubt it's going to be that good." Dr. Huang said as she grabbed the swivel chair Nii pushed to her as she placed the vials and beakers on the table beside her.  
  
The bunny wielding doctor cleared his throat and lit up a cigarette as his colleague took her seat. From there, he began to tell Dr. Huang about the plan he proposed to Lady Koushu the day before. 


	2. Chapter 2

* THE DAY BEFORE*  
  
Dr. Nii walked into Gyumoah's chamber, catching the attention of a very bored Lady Koushu. "Oh Nii, it's you, I'm so glad you're here. I am very bored, Nii, perhaps you could keep me company for a little while." Lady Koushu grinned.  
  
Nii laughed, "Perhaps I could entertain you with an idea first. I'm very sure it's one to get quite a rile out of you." Nii shot back his ever mischievous grin as Lady Koushu rubbed the boredom from her eyes.  
  
"Alright, what do you have in mind?" Gyumoah's concubine made herself comfortable, leaning over in her chair and putting her cheek in her hand.  
  
"My studies and observations of the Sanzo party have shown that the demons attacking them just aren't strong enough. My guess to this is that the little shred of free will still active in each of them is taking up valuable space in their consciousness." Nii paused for Lady Koushu to catch up.  
  
"Go on."  
  
"Well, say that we create a mixture of extreme hallucinogens and..." Nii hesitated unsure of how Lady Koushu would take his next thought.  
  
"And what?"  
  
"I was thinking the only ingredient left would be a sample of Gyumoah's blood. However, I'll understand if you do not wish to go ahead with this operation."  
  
Lady Koushu paused for a moment, cleared her throat and started. "As always Nii, you disappoint me in some way. " Koushu grinned at Nii's slightly embarrassed reaction. "But only because you did not think of this a little sooner. I will agree with you that Gyumoah's essence will no doubt make this plan all the more successful. Besides I'm sure My Love would understand the need for his blood for the operation. Although I'm a little confused at how this mixture will be administered."  
  
"Well My Lady, it's very simple really," Nii cleared his throat. "You see, rain clouds have been moving into close proximity of the Sanzo party's location. I believe that by having someone pilot the newly remodeled disseminating air cruiser above cloud level, the operator could so-to-speak crop dust the hydro-activated powder over the rain clouds. Then when it does rain, the powder should infuse with the water droplets which will ultimately effect and strengthen all demons in the area. And here's the thing, when I say all demons I mean as such. The mixture should be powerful enough to effect those with power limiters and even hybrids. Thus, not only causing the Sanzo party's enemies in the area to become more of a nuisance, but it will tear the party apart from the inside. After all, the group is almost three-fourths demon." Nii finished his proposition with his usual cocky grin as he saw the more-than-pleased reaction from Lady Koushu.  
  
"We will find an operator for the air cruiser immediately. Thank you, Nii"  
  
Nii bowed and made his way to the door, hugging and whispering some loose thoughts to Bunny.   
  
"Oh Nii?" Lady Koushu purred from behind him. "I never said I was done with you."  
  
Nii stopped in his tracks and chuckled softly, "Well we better had put Bunny somewhere where he can't see us then, hm?"  
  
Unknown, the son of Gyumoah, Kougaji, listened silently with his back against the cold, marble pillar just outside his father's chamber, grumbling at the act that was about to take place. But for once he found himself mentally praising one of Nii's plans. That freak might actually be on to something. "...But he's still a sick bastard," Kougaji thought aloud to himself in attempt to drown out the noises coming from the chamber. Kougaji made his way down the dark hall to inform Yaone and Dokugakugi about the plan in progress, wishing the hall didn't allow so many unwanted sounds to echo. "Stupid slut," Kougaji growled as he stepped deeper into the dark hall.  
  
*THREE DAYS LATER*  
  
The merciless sun beat down on the westward band just as the merciless priest gave concussion upon concussion to those in the back seat. Everyone was bored out of their skull as the landscape provided nothing but the occasional rock formation. Finally, Hakkai's curiosity took hold and he cautiously asked, "Sanzo, I noticed you were a bit   
  
uh--"  
  
"A bit what?"  
  
"Well, I'm just curious as to why you've been a bit more agitated than usual these past few days."  
  
Maybe cuz he has a fucking redwood tree up his ass, Gojyo thought bitterly as he rubbed his bruised head, unintentionally biting down on his cigarette.  
  
"Fine," Sanzo sighed. "You really want to know? Three things..."  
  
Gojyo and Goku both sat up and quieted as the answers to their curiosity were about to be answered.  
  
"One, it's hotter than hell out here. Two, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumbass won't shut up." Sanzo paused and Hakkai multitasked by urging him on and quieting the severely offended backseat riders.  
  
"And three?"  
  
"And three..." Sanzo lowered his voice. "I just have a really bad feeling about the days ahead of us."  
  
Hakkai put on one of his best comforting smiles. "Not that I doubt your holy intuition, Sanzo. But we've had a streak of pretty good luck lately. However, I'm not saying we should have our guard down. You're just stressing yourself out. I could suggest you just rest a little while."   
  
"And I could suggest you just drive."  
  
Hakkai laughed, not phased in the least by the harsh tone of voice of the ruthlessly irritated priest beside him. "Ok, shutting up."  
  
Sanzo was just about to close his eyes when he was tapped on the shoulder from behind. "Hey Sanzo?" It was Goku. "Am I Tweedle Dee?"  
  
"Not anymore."  
  
"Oh...Hey!"  
  
Hakkai and Gojyo couldn't help but laugh a little until Gojyo realized who he was originally meant to be. "Fucking monk," Gojyo mumbled. Though he figured he'd just drop it there, it was too hot to really do anything about anything and he sat back cracking open a disgustingly warm beer. He pulled out a Hi-Lite and lit it up, soon forgetting about the whole issue. 


	3. Chapter 3

*THE LABORATORY'S TESTING FACILITY*  
  
(Two Days Prior)  
  
"How you managed to pull this idea together is beyond me. I guess I have no choice but to applaud you." Dr Huang sarcastically clapped twice and returned her hands to her lab coat pocket, her sour look becoming more intense as Nii produced a small vial of the powdery blue mixture from his pocket.  
  
"That's all you could make?" Dr. Huang scoffed.  
  
"Oh no, this is just a souvenir, there is plenty already prepared to be spread. However as a scientist, I must put aside my belief that there is no fault in my mixture and test it on a few subjects." Dr. Nii turned to roll up the blinds of a one-way mirror that allowed them to see into the testing chamber. He pressed a button beside the window and after a small buzzing noise echoed through the lab, two demons were shoved into the dark, circular testing room. "I did some research," Nii started. "It seems these two are pretty close friends."  
  
"Well that's good for them," Dr. Huang cut in.  
  
"Actually, I'd have to disagree there. You see, these two are about to go through hell."  
  
"What? Explain."  
  
"About fifteen minutes ago we dusted the fire sprinklers inside the testing area with the mixture." Pressing another button below the previously mentioned, the chamber inside began to fill with smoke, sending those inside into a coughing fit and thus activating the sprinklers.  
  
"Just as long as it gets into the body, it should take no more than a half an hour to activate. And believe me, it will make its way in, either through the eyes, mouth, or whatever. But I did add a bit of flesh eating acid to the mixture for quicker results. Although this mixture here contains a bit more of that than the batch we will be distributing."  
  
As soon as the water from the sprinklers hit the skin of the two demons they dropped, their backs showed a deep purple rash spreading rapidly as the acid ate away at the top layers of skin. The sound of their howls were muffled by the thick walls as the rashes spread to nearly eighty percent of their body.  
  
Both demons stumbled back against opposite walls, clawing at their heads, not just from the stinging solution raining down on them but the head splitting pain that raced through their brains as the last of their free will was ultimately erased. They relaxed as the water pouring down on them gradually stopped, their arms falling to their sides. Within seconds after glancing at each other, both infected demons lunged at the other with every intention of ripping the intestines out of their "friend." Dr. Huang looked on, her eyes widening at every horrific blow the demons dealt each other.  
  
"You know as well as I how close the Sanzo Party is with each other, so I hope this little demonstration has proven that friendship or close acquaintances is not a factor. I assure you, they will destroy each other." Nii watched intently at the gruesome scene unfolding in front of them with a sick grin twisted on his lips. "Is that a liver I see? Hmm."  
  
"When are we executing the real thing?" Dr. Huang winced as a pint of blood splattered on the window in front of her face.  
  
Dr. Nii nodded and held Bunny close to him. "It's already taken care of." Then holding the rabbit to a slightly nauseous Dr. Huang, "Bye...Bye... Sanzo Party, " Bunny chirped. 


	4. Chapter 4

*PRESENT DAY*  
  
Hakkai looked up into an increasingly ominous evening sky. "Looks like we're going to be in for a storm, eh Hakuryuu?" Hakkai flicked on the high beams as the sunlight began to rapidly fade.  
  
"Kyuu..." Hakuryuu squeaked in a slightly metallic tone.  
  
Hakkai looked to his sleeping comrades and sighed, "I don't want to wake them up, but if we don't set up shelter soon, we're going to get rained out."  
  
"Kyuu Kyuu."  
  
Hakkai smiled, "I know and I appreciate the effort for the long haul to the next town. But we still have another two days until we get there so hang in there, OK my friend?"  
  
"Two more days, hm? Well that's no good, I'm almost out of smokes."  
  
Hakkai looked in the rearview window to Gojyo. "Oh, good morning, sunshine. I hope we didn't wake you up."  
  
Gojyo chuckled, "Nah, I wasn't really even sleeping anyway. That goddamn chimp back here snores too loud."  
  
Hakkai nodded and looked on, trying to suppress the depression that began to rain down on him.  
  
"Hey," Gojyo leaned forward until his head poked between the front seats. "You gonna be OK, man? I mean, I could drive if you want to get some rest. I do have some sense of direction."  
  
"Thanks, Gojyo, but we need to stop anyway and set up a tent. Besides, I fear your sense of direction would only bring us to the nearest brothel." Hakkai gave Gojyo one of his I'm-only-kidding smiles.  
  
"Hah Hah, very funny, Hakkai. At least they'd give us a place to stay and a nice place to lay." With a small grin, Gojyo winced as he looked up and saw the last of the sunlight smothered by the black clouds. "Ew, looks like we're in for a bitch of a storm." Gojyo then added with a sigh, "And another happy night with the Sanzo Party."  
As the Jeep slowed, Goku was roused from his slumber. "Hey why are we stopping? Did we find a restaurant or something?"  
  
"No restaurants out here, Goku. However, I could recommend that lovely raspberry bush over there."  
  
"That's all?" Goku's eyes widened into his most pathetic expression he could muster. "I'm a growing boy, Hakkai! I need sustenance!"  
  
"Wow, big new vocab word?"  
  
"Shut up, Gojyo, I'm too hungry to bother with an assface like you."  
  
"Assface?! Well if you're so hungry why don't you eat my sh--!" Gojyo stopped at the sound of Sanzo's gun being cocked. "Eh heh heh."  
  
Sanzo growled, "And I thought for once I could wake up to a sound other than children bickering."  
  
"Well look who's up!" Hakkai chirped as he put the Jeep in park.  
  
"Ch." Sanzo ran a hand through his damp hair and looked up, wincing as a raindrop hit him on the chakra on his forehead. "Great...Looks like it's going to be another trip down memory lane tonight."  
  
Gojyo jumped out of the back of the Jeep, tent in hand. "Well we better get our asses in gear. It looks like it's going to come down pretty hard in a few minutes."  
  
The boys set to work putting up the tent under a large tree nearby, the rain steadily increasing as they worked.  
  
"Hey, where does this pole go?" Goku asked no one in particular.  
  
From the other side of the tent Gojyo grunted as he held up the collapsing tent, "I'll show you where you can put it, stupid monkey!"  
  
Goku was about to shout an insult back when Hakkai reached over and showed Goku where the pole went. "Thanks, Hakkai," Goku smiled as he passed the pole through the tent loops to Gojyo's side.  
  
"No problem, this thing is kinda tricky to set up. It even took me a while to figure it out."  
  
"Damnit, I'm soaked," Gojyo grumbled as he rung out his vest. It was then he found the soggy pack of Hi-Lites in his pocket and screamed. "This was a brand new pack!! Ugh!!"  
  
Sanzo hitched the last pole of the tent. "Alright as much as I'd love to mock Gojyo's screaming like a little girl, I suggest we get inside." Sanzo grabbed Goku's hair as he was about to enter. "Nuh uh. Not you Goku. You go get the clothes and blankets from the Jeep."  
  
"Wha-? Why me?"  
  
"Because you're on my shit-list, now go."  
  
"Fine..." Goku sighed as he watched Hakkai console Gojyo as they went into the nice dry tent. He trudged over to Hakuryuu who had parked itself under a small overhand.  
  
"It's no fair, Hakuryuu," Goku complained as he grabbed the blankets and extra clothes under the seats. Hakuryuu squeaked in reassurance.  
  
"Yeah I know. C'mon, let's get inside."  
  
"Kyuu!" Hakuryuu shrieked as it turned back to its dragon form. Goku tucked the dragon under his cape and headed back to the tent which had just lit up in a warm glow as Hakkai turned on a lantern.  
  
Inside Hakkai, Gojyo and Sanzo had hung up the soaked clothes they could part with. Gojyo and Hakkai both had their shirts on the line with Sanzo's robe. Goku ducked under the tent flap and dropped the blankets and clothes in the middle of the tent. Hakuryuu flew from Goku's cape and perched itself carefully on Hakkai's bare shoulder. "Hey there," Hakkai smiled at the little white dragon, to which he received a small squeak in return. Sanzo got up quickly and grabbed a pair of jeans while Hakkai and Gojyo found themselves a pair of pants and shirts. Luckily the guys all wore about the same size so it didn't really matter who got what.  
  
"Hey! Leave something for me! Remember I was the one who had to go get the stuff!"  
  
"Yeah and it's all damp," Gojyo pointed out as he pulled on the damp shirt that stuck to his chest.  
  
"Quit bitching already! It was pouring out. What do you expect?!"  
  
"That maybe for once you could do something right, you goddamned monkey!"  
  
"Least I'm not afraid to go out and get wet, you stupid cockroach!"  
  
Gojyo stopped and smirked, his perverted mind ticking away. "Neither am I." Gojyo's smirk twisted into a sly grin as he recalled the last night they were in the previous town and the company he shared.  
  
"Ch," Sanzo shook his head and Hakkai couldn't help but laugh at the slightly awkward situation.   
  
"Please, Gojyo. There's children present."  
  
Goku stood in his place with a look of utter confusion plastered on his face. The hybrid raised a brow and sighed, "Wow, I think we have just found the poster boy of naivety."  
  
"Wouldn't say it's so much naivety as just uncorrupted. Which is surprising due to the amount of time you guys spend together. I'm just amazed he's remained this...innocent." Hakkai added.  
  
"It's a fucking miracle, Hakkai."  
  
"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Goku glared at them then shivered, forgetting about the soaking wet clothes he still wore.  
  
"You probably should get out of those before you catch a cold. There should be something you can wear in the pile over there," Gojyo offered.  
  
"Oh yeah. Guess I'm just so hungry that I forgot about that." Goku stated as he went to go dig through the pile of cloth.  
  
Gojyo grinned, "Shoulda figured that."  
  
Goku found a large sweatshirt and his favorite ripped jeans. He quickly changed after yelling at Gojyo and Hakkai to turn around.  
  
"So now what? Early to bed, early to rise or something?" Goku asked as he threw his wet clothes over the drying line.  
  
"Well," Gojyo pulled out a tin of cards which he was happy to see had stayed dry. "How about a game or two of poker? Winner gets the big comforter." Gojyo grinned as he shuffled the cards up and Goku of course, took the statement the wrong way.   
  
"You had better stay the hell away from me! I'll lose on purpose before I'm comforted by you!"  
  
"What the--?! I was talking about the blanket, jackass!"  
  
"Oh..."  
  
Gojyo shook his head. "Alright, everyone take a seat. Hey Sanzo, you play...ing?"  
  
The kappa looked up to the door and saw Sanzo peaking out the flap at the rain. He knew what the rain did to the priest's morale so Gojyo decided to drop it and he began dealing out the cards to Goku and Hakkai. 


	5. Chapter 5

*HOURS EARLIER*  
  
  
  
All was silent in the lab. Nii had just gotten back from a visit with Lady Koushu and was relaxing in his chair with his feet up on the desk. He picked up a Rubik's cube and began to work at it in the soft glow of the computer screens around him. It wasn't three minutes later that a low-level demon allowed himself into the lab.  
  
"Sir, I was sent to inform you that the cruiser has returned, the rain clouds have been following the Sanzo Party's path and everything should be in order," the demon lackey stated proudly.  
  
"Don't you think I know that already?" Nii asked in an obnoxiously strained voice, smiling as he happily crushed the demon's pride.  
  
"Huh, Sir?"  
  
"I've put transmitters on the cruiser and I have the weather patterns on the screen in front of me. I'm not Lady Koushu's choice scientist for nothing you know." Nii made sure to annunciate a few selective words so the fuming Dr. Huang working in the back could hear. "Now make yourself useful and get me some more coffee."  
  
"O-of course, Sir. My apologies." With that, the demon quickly exited the lab.  
  
Nii grinned and held up his stuffed toy. "Well, Bunny. I think we've found our next test subject, hm?" To which Bunny nodded back.  
  
"Oh dear."  
  
***  
  
Gojyo frowned, his hand wasn't as great as he hoped it'd be and he knew that Hakkai could very well win at any moment. However he wasn't concerned in the least about what Goku could have since he never won anything anyway. Feeling a sudden itch on his bicep, Gojyo instinctively reached up and scratched it, paying the irritation no mind until he realized he hadn't stopped itching it for about five minutes straight. He looked up and noticed Hakkai rubbing the back of his neck absentmindedly, but Gojyo dismissed it as nothing.  
  
Goku picked up the cards he was dealt back and Gojyo immediately noticed a slightly purple stain blotched on his hand. "Hey what's that?" Gojyo asked as Goku noticed the mark for the first time.  
  
"I dunno. I guess that could explain why my hand has been itching for the last ten minutes though." Goku then noticed a similar mark, though a bit more irritated on Gojyo's arm. "But it looks like whatever you have. What do you think it is?"  
  
"What's going on?" Hakkai asked as he looked over his cards to his two itching opponents.  
  
"Me and Gojyo have a weird...er rash of something."  
  
"Yeah, mine itches like hell." Gojyo added. "Do we have some Calamine lotion or something?"  
  
"Itches?" Hakkai then realized he'd been scratching the back of his neck more so than rubbing it.  
  
"Ugh, there's no way that I'm letting anyone put that pink shit all over me." Goku groaned.  
  
"Goku? Do I have anything on the back of my neck?" Hakkai leaned over for Goku to examine his neck.  
  
Goku sat up on his knees and looked over Hakkai's neck, finding the same purplish mark had covered most of the skin. He sat back as he confirmed his findings to Hakkai all the while hiding his cards from Gojyo's peering eyes.  
  
"You think it's something we ate?" Gojyo asked, trying his hardest not to irritate the rash anymore.  
  
"I'm not sure," Hakkai began. "But you think if it was, Goku would be covered in it."  
  
"Hmm." Gojyo looked over to Sanzo who hadn't moved an inch since the poker game had begun. "Hey droopy eyes, hate to impede on your brooding time but are you uh... itchy at all?"  
  
"What?" Sanzo glanced over to the rest of his comrades, annoyance plastered on his face.  
  
"Well we all have these weird rashes, so.." Gojyo trailed off as he realized how much of an idiot he sounded like.  
  
"Now that you mention it... no," Sanzo growled as he looked back outside. "It's not my fault you have bugs."  
  
"Sanzo this is really odd. I'm thinking we should just try to drive through the rain to get to town," Hakkai offered.  
  
"Yeah! What if this is serious! Besides, I'm starving, Sanzo!" Goku sat up and looked at Sanzo with his large, pleading gold eyes.  
  
"All of you calm down. It's probably just poison ivy. So cover yourselves in that pink shit and shut the hell up."  
  
Hakkai nodded. "I guess you could be right." *But somehow I think this is a bit more serious than just poison ivy.*  
  
"So on with the game then? It might take our minds off the itching." Goku suggested. "Call?"  
  
Hakkai looked down at his cards and smiled as he laid his cards out. "Straight Flush"  
  
"Son of a bitch," Gojyo grumbled as he threw down his two pair of nines and aces. "I need a smoke."  
  
Hakkai stood up. "Well, I knew you'd be running low soon so I took the liberty of holding on to one for you." Hakkai grinned as he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and handed it to a very delighted Gojyo. "As much as I hate furthering your lung cancer."  
  
Gojyo's eyes lit up, "Hakkai, you're a friggin' lifesaver!"  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't say that seeing as I'm contributing to this unhealthy habit of yours."  
  
"Mmm hmm, whatever." Gojyo grabbed the cigarette and stepped outside after brushing past the monk. The rain had died down into a light sprinkle as Gojyo made his way to the forest's edge. "If I stay in there any longer, I'm going to develop a complex." Gojyo said as he placed his hand over the flame of the silver Zippo and cigarette and inhaled deeply as the end lit. The light from the cigarette glowed brightly in the cool, gloomy night and Gojyo was lost in a trance watching the smoke from the cig become spirited away by the wind.  
  
It was then Gojyo heard a rustle in the bushes and a snap of a twig not deep into the woods. "Hm? Hello?" His crimson eyes scanned the black void of the forest around him.  
  
Crack!   
  
"What the hell?" Gojyo took another drag of his cigarette as he stepped in the direction of the sound. "Meh, I guess I don't mind a walk."  
  
From inside the tent Sanzo kept his eye on Gojyo. "Where is that idiot going?"  
  
Goku peered out from behind Sanzo's shoulder. "He probably just has to take a piss. Who cares?"  
  
Sanzo growled. "You're definitely too close to me, monkey. Back off."  
  
"Sure sure. Jeez, grumpy much?" Goku began to make his way to the back of the tent. He wasn't looking where he was going when he tripped over the lantern in the middle of the tent as he toppled forward. "AAH!" Instinctively, Goku grabbed the closest thing to keep from falling, which happened to be Hakkai's shoulder. Hakkai cried out, but what surprised Goku was that it was not a cry of surprise, but one of pain.  
  
Sanzo jumped up and grabbed the lantern, relieved none of the oil had spilled out into the tent. "You want to burn the place down, you goddamned monkey?!"  
  
But Goku wasn't listening, his eyes were wide in shock as the dim light illuminated the blood that covered his hands... and claws. 


	6. Chapter 6

"What the--?" Sanzo nearly fell over in disbelief. *How is this possible? He still has his coronet on!*  
  
Hakkai held his bleeding shoulder and looked over to Goku's hands. "How--?" Suddenly and almost irrepressible urge to strike back at Goku flashed through his mind. "No!"  
  
"Hakkai! What's wrong?" Goku panicked as he looked down at Hakkai who was on his knees, panting hard and staring up at Goku wide-eyed.  
  
"Something is seriously wrong here." Sanzo said aloud to no one as he helped Hakkai to his feet and held him stable for a moment.  
  
"W-we should go....Where's Gojyo?" Hakkai asked as he confirmed to Sanzo he could stand on his own.  
  
"Where would we go? The town's not for another two days." Sanzo reestablished. Then realizing that Gojyo had been gone a little longer than he should have been, Sanzo looked out of the tent while Hakkai went about healing his wound and consoling a still very shaken Son Goku. "Where *is* Gojyo?"  
  
  
  
***  
  
"Goddamn mosquitoes," Gojyo mumbled to himself as he smacked the small vampire on his arm. He was put into a foul mood as he had lost his way back to the tent and his cigarette had practically burned down to the filter. "This is just great. It couldn't possibly get any worse than this."   
  
Just then as if the Gods were mocking him, the rain began to pick up, the raindrops echoing in the forest around him. Holding his middle finger to the heavens, Gojyo snuffed the last of his cigarette out on the wet leaves. "Fuck you... *Merciful* Goddess my ass." Gojyo was just about to turn when he heard another rustle in the bushes behind him. When he looked around, he was suddenly pummeled to the ground by a large brute force from the side.   
  
Gojyo slid on the wet leaves and moss, wincing as his side was exposed to the small, sharp rocks that littered the ground. Quickly, he summoned his shakujou which he grabbed hold of as soon as it was tangible. Stumbling to his feet he looked around, on guard and senses at their highest.   
  
*There's two.* He thought to himself as he firmly took hold of his weapon with the other hand. It was then he caught the sound of objects flying through the air in his direction. Jumping back, he was able to block the large acupuncture needles with his shakujou. They bounced off the metal with a slight *clang* and stuck in the ground at his feet.  
  
"What the hell?! What kind of pussy fights with--?" Gojyo sensed someone behind him, gasping as he spun around to come face to face with a lanky, kunai packing demon. His expression changed as he growled thru his teeth. "You little bastard!"   
  
Gojyo swung the chained blade at the demon who easily jumped over it. Grunting in frustration, Gojyo barely evaded the downward strike of the kunais from above. Holding his shakujou in a ready position, he awaited another strike. All of a sudden, something whizzed past his ear and following the sound he felt whatever it was pierce his right shoulder.   
  
Gojyo's arm immediately went numb and fell to his side. He reached for the long needle embedded in his muscle as a kunai was plunged into his other shoulder. The shakujou dropped from his hands and disappeared before it hit the ground. Gojyo cried out as he was ruthlessly slammed against a tree where the demon grabbed the kunai and forced it deeper into his shoulder hard enough to pin him to the tree.  
  
Gojyo took the first breath in three seconds since the attack began. "Wh-who the hell are you?" He managed to gasp out before a needle thrown from the trees plunged into his left thigh. Gojyo winced and held in a scream as the demon with the kunai began to trace a blade down Gojyo's chest, cutting the shirt and leaving a deep bleeding trail. Gojyo mustered all the energy he could to kick out at the demon's knee with his one good leg, smirking as he heard the beautiful *SNAP* of his opponent's kneecap. The demon stumbled back howling in pain.  
  
"Goes to show you *not* to fuck with m--" Before his sentence was finished, there were three new deep slashes across his chest as he saw that the "wounded" demon was back on his feet. "No way..."   
  
The demon grabbed Gojyo's neck and slowly peeled him off the tree. He screamed as his shoulder was set afire as the kunai was wedged from the tree but kept its place in his shoulder.  
  
The demon held Gojyo by the throat as he glared into the watery crimson eyes of his prey with his own abysmal black ones. "We were told not to kill you or your friends so consider yourself lucky for the moment."  
  
"How...generous. Who told...you this?" Gojyo managed to choke out as he hung at his attacker's mercy.  
  
"Doesn't matter to you."  
  
Gojyo took a deep ragged breath, "My friends or I don't need any luck from you."  
  
The demon laughed, "I think you'll need all the luck you can get, Sha Gojyo. Because I'm not going to be the one whose going to kill them." The demon grinned and licked his lips as he brought his face an inch from Gojyo's. "You are."  
  
Gojyo's eyes went wide, "What?"  
  
The demon laughed as he threw Gojyo hard across the forest floor. He slid on the wet leaves and stopped abruptly when his head hit a large rock jutting from the ground. Gojyo's vision blurred as he felt himself slipping from consciousness. He passed out as he lay there, his open wounds welcoming in the poisonous rain coming from above. But before the world went completely black, he could swear he heard his name echoing through the woods. 


	7. Chapter 7

"Gojyo! Gojyo, where are you?!" Sanzo yelled into the black forest as he wiped his soaked face and grumbled. "If I find him first, I'm going to shoot his balls off."  
  
"Gojyo! We need to leave, man! Gojyo!!" Hakkai was on the other side of the tent, squinting into the darkness and hoping he could possibly catch a glimpse of the red-head.   
  
Goku sat in the tent curled in a ball with Hakuryuu beside him as he just stared at his hands and the claws that now adorned them. The blood had long been washed off but the smell still stuck to his skin like a wet cloth. Then the scent of another's blood filled his nostrils as a cold breeze broke into the tent. Goku gasped and sat up quick, "Oh man."  
  
Goku burst out of the tent, slipping a little on the slick leaves covering the ground. "I know where he is!" His statement immediately captured the attention of Hakkai and Sanzo and practically echoed through the woods.  
  
"What? How?" Sanzo started, but paused when he saw the look Goku gave him.  
  
Son Goku looked up at Sanzo with the gravest expression the priest had ever seen on the him. "I smell his blood."  
  
"Oh no," Hakkai whispered. "Which way, Goku?"  
  
"This way." Goku leaped into the bushes and Hakkai and Sanzo followed. His pace quickened as he realized the amount of blood needed to be given off for such a strong scent like the one he held. *Shit Gojyo, hang in there man.* Goku though to himself, then shouting to the others he added, "We need to hurry! I don't think he's in good shape!" Goku ducked under a few branches as behind him, Sanzo nearly missed the twigs that threatened to snap him in the face as Goku plowed through them. Goku sped up as the scent grew stronger. "Right here!" Goku jumped over a large rock and landed in a small clearing. He looked down at his feet and shivered as a flash of lightning lit up the amount of blood that pooled in the leaves at his feet. Sanzo and Hakkai stepped out of the bushes and joined Goku to stare at the mess before them. Goku covered his nose with his forearm as he tried to rid his head of the horrible possibilities that caused the mess in front of him and to block out the overwhelming stench of his friend's blood.  
  
"Where is he?" Sanzo asked as he inspected the clearing with his sharp violet eyes.  
  
"Maybe he tried going back to the tent on his own," Hakkai suggested.  
  
"Gojyo!" Goku yelled in desperation into the shady-black jungle trying to locate the lost kappa.   
  
There was a rustle in the trees behind them as suddenly, four large needles flew from the trees. Hakkai, Sanzo, and Goku were able to dodge them but barely managed to keep their balance on the slick leaves covering the forest floor.  
  
"What kind of pussy fights with needles?!" Goku cried out as he summoned his Nyoi-bou and knocked a few needles from their trajectory path to his neck.  
  
"Sanzo look out!" Hakkai jumped towards the priest as five needles flew at Sanzo from behind. A chi barrier grew around them and the airborne needles bounced off the force field, lodging deeply into the ground around them.   
  
"Thanks. You know, you'd think this guy would run out of these sometime soon." Luck smiled down on them when the wind then blew the leaves of the trees just enough for Sanzo to catch a glimpse of their stealthy attacker perched on a bough. *Heh. Found you.*  
  
"So what now?" Hakkai asked. "You see something?"  
  
"Drop the shield, Hakkai." Sanzo cocked the Smith & Wesson and raised it to the tree as the protective barrier vanished. "I hate these annoying little ninja wannabes." He locked on to his target and fired, the gunshot echoing loudly through the drenched forest. There was a scream from the tree as the demon disintegrated as it fell towards the ground. "Take's care of that little bastard." Sanzo grumbled.  
  
"Is it just me or was that demon a little bit more difficult than the ones we've been dealing with lately?" Hakkai thought aloud.  
  
"We should probably head back to the tent just in case Gojyo dragged his sorry carcass back there." Sanzo stepped towards the woods, annoyed as he rung out his shirt. "Besides, this is the only pair of clothes I had left and now I'm soaked."  
  
"Wait up, Sanzo." Goku trailed after Sanzo as they disappeared into the bushes. Hakkai decided to give the clearing one last before he'd go, still doubting Gojyo would be back at the tent after the mess that was left. "Gojyo..." He was just about to head after Sanzo and Goku when a bloody, clawed hand reached from behind and grabbed Hakkai's throat.  
  
"Ack!" Hakkai's breath was choked from him as he felt himself drawn and held fast to a familiar body. The corpse of a demon was thrown into Hakkai's view and he noted three kunai protruding from its face. "My God...San-!" A hand was slapped over Hakkai's mouth as he was spun around only to come face to face with the last person he'd expected. "Gojyo!"  
  
"Hey beautiful," Gojyo purred.  
  
***  
  
"What now?" Sanzo stopped in his tracks, grabbed Goku by the collar, and flew back to the clearing.  
  
"Sanzo?! What's up?"  
  
"Hakkai's in trouble."  
  
It wasn't long until the monkey and priest were back in the clearing and frozen in awe as they saw Hakkai held by the throat and hugged against Gojyo's body.  
  
"What the--Gojyo?!" Goku cried out. He was once again severely confused, but this time with good reason.  
  
Hakkai was barely able to force out any words as his windpipe was threatening to stick shut. "G-Goj-- Ack!"   
  
Gojyo's grip tightened steadily causing Hakkai to squirm in his grasp, much to his pleasure. The hybrid spun his captive back around to face the two other shocked party members.  
  
"Let him go, Gojyo! I don't know what's wrong with you, but you know I will *not* hesitate to shoot you." Sanzo threatened as he held up his gun and aimed it at Gojyo.  
  
"Sanzo! It's too close to Hakkai! And besides that's still Gojyo!"  
  
"That's not Gojyo, Goku"  
  
"Are you so sure, monk?" Gojyo looked to Sanzo for the first time, his eyes were fierce and brighter than normal, with a sliver of a pupil centered in the intense red orbs.  
  
"What the hell happened to you?" Sanzo glared at the kappa as he studied him, realizing it was in fact, his comrade. *Damn...*  
  
"Heh. You could say I just woke up. And now," Gojyo's hand made its way to Hakkai's left ear and hovered over the three small, silver ear cuffs. "I'm going to do Hakkai the favor and wake him from this disgusting dream."  
  
Hakkai swayed between consciousness and blackness as his air supply had been depleted for far too long. His eyelids fluttered as he kept his gaze on Sanzo and the gun he held at him, although the image he saw was beginning to blur around the edges.  
  
"Gojyo! Don't!" Sanzo's finger instinctively pressed harder against the cold trigger. *What the hell should I do?*  
  
Meanwhile, Goku was fighting a silent battle within his own mind. All he could smell was blood, all he could hear was madness, and the images that burned in the back of his eyelids could send any sane person to an asylum. "S-Sanzo, I don't feel so good."   
  
"Goku, now's not the time to complain about being hungry."  
  
"But I'm not--" Goku's words faded as he slunk back to a tree hugging his churning stomach with one arm while the other hand held his forehead. The images and thoughts in Goku's mind burned hotter and hotter. *No...No! Why do I want to hurt my friends?! They're my friends!!*  
  
  
  
***  
  
Gojyo placed the top cuff between his index finger and thumb and wickedly tugged on it, releasing a bit of pressure from Hakkai's neck as he did so.  
  
Hakkai's voice was hoarse and dry as he painfully forced himself to try and reason with the hybrid. "Gojyo please, you don't want to do this." Hakkai pleaded, but he knew it didn't matter, whatever had Gojyo held onto him tight. He just felt so bad for Sanzo and the position he was thrown into. Not only that but he could see Goku was having his own problems. Then, sensing that he was losing Hakkai's attention, Gojyo shook his prey lightly.  
  
"Hey, forget about them. They're not going to help you, they're too scared."  
  
"Say that again, lech!" Sanzo shot back.  
  
"I think I made a point when I said it the first time. Now, Hakkai, this might be a bit uncomfortable at first," Gojyo grinned. "But I think you'll learn to love it." With that, Gojyo slowly pulled the cuff in his grasp from Hakkai's ear and tossed it to the ground where he crushed it with his boot. 


	8. Chapter 8

It was like a bolt of lightning struck Hakkai in the forehead, he still was able to hold onto reality, but it was so much harder with one of his barriers gone. He couldn't help the small whimpers that escaped his lips as he could practically feel his irises slimming just like his grasp on reality. Sanzo growled as he looked through the pouring rain into Hakkai's now slit-pupil eyes.  
  
"Tell me, what are you going to do, Sanzo?" Gojyo taunted as he took hold of the next cuff down Hakkai's ear.  
  
"Damnit." Sanzo looked over to Goku but found he was missing. He looked back to Gojyo and Hakkai and caught a glimpse of a bush shake a little from behind the possessed half breed. *Ch. He's clumsy* Sanzo thought to himself.  
  
"Please, Gojyo. Don't do this." Hakkai twisted his head as best he could and stared into Gojyo's eyes, pleading with all he had. Hakkai's voice shook as he held back the hate bubbling inside of him and concentrated on not ripping Gojyo's face in half. "I know you can...fight this, Gojyo."  
  
The Kappa looked back, his tone turning soft and familiar. "Hakkai, I'm so sorry..."   
  
Hakkai smiled, ecstatic that he could finally get through to his best friend. "Thank Gods."   
  
But as a streak of lighting cracked the sky and Hakkai could see a twisted smile snake across Gojyo's lips. "Sorry...That this might hurt you a bit. See you on the other side, Hakkai." With that, Gojyo yanked off the second ear cuff and threw it over his shoulder.  
  
Hakkai did everything in his power to keep from biting his tongue off as his brain began to split in half. He let out a hoarse scream as the effects of the poison that rained from the sky made the remaining restraint more and more obsolete by the moment. All the hate he bottled up inside of him for years was pouring out. Chin Iisou, the Black Crow Clan, every single demon that stood in his way of Kanan. Oh, Kanan....how could anyone disgrace her like that?!! The blood that would have to be spilt in order to make up for such a deed was unfathomable. He'd make them pay. He'd make them all pay!  
  
Gojyo grinned as he held tightly onto Hakkai. The thoughts that began to resurface made Hakkai jump forward unexpectedly or threaten with a growl to rip out Gojyo's neck every few seconds. "Never thought he was capable of this." Gojyo finally managed to hold Hakkai still enough and just as he was about to go for the last cuff, he was knocked in the head with a hard, blunt object from behind. He lost his hold on Hakkai who fell to the ground and immediately curled into a ball. He grabbed his head to keep it from dividing as he tried to shut out the images of carnage that flooded his consciousness.  
  
Gojyo stumbled forward in a daze and tried to keep his balance as the ground swayed in front of him. It was then Sanzo decided that he should use the sacred scripture to at least hold down Gojyo for the time being and possibly Hakkai if he couldn't hold himself together.  
  
Realizing who had hit him, Gojyo spun around to face Goku who was barely able to keep himself standing by leaning heavily on his Nyoi-bou. The posessed half breed bared his fangs, "Stupid monkey!" Gojyo lunged at Goku and to his surprise, Gojyo was easily able to pin him to a tree. So hard in fact, that the bark cracked around Goku's frame and the tree groaned at the force it took. "What's with you, man?! Why are you doing this? Gojyo!"  
  
Gojyo grinned and held up a hand to strike his victim, when he was suddenly enveloped in the glowing scripture controlled by the priest in back of him. Gojyo roared in frustration as he struggled to finish off the chimp, clawing at the air until his arms were wrapped to his sides. He was lifted into the air and held there, his fierce eyes the only part of his body exposed from the holy scripture.  
  
Goku sighed in relief, but the feeling was washed away as he was bit with another plague of images. He closed his eyes tight and hunched over, trying to keep the pictures from going deeper into his mind as unconsciously, his hand began to creep to the golden coronet around his head. Goku caught himself just as the fingers brushed the cool metal, "No!" Digging his claws into the tree out of frustration, he screamed up into the heavy rain clouds, "What the hell is going on?!"  
  
***  
  
Sanzo was doing all he could to hold onto Gojyo, who had become much stronger than he anticipated. "Hey, Hakkai?!" The priest glanced over to the shivering heap that was Hakkai with concerned violet eyes. *Oh man...He's not going to make it.* Sanzo bit his lip anxiously as Hakkai slowly lifted himself from the ground.  
  
Calmly, Hakkai looked to Sanzo and smiled, barely revealing the sharp, elongated fangs he now possessed. A delicate vine pattern snaked across Hakkai's face and he shook his lengthened, shaggy hair from his cool eyes.  
  
"Hakkai..." Sanzo looked to Hakkai with an almost sad expression on his face. At that instant, he knew he was royally fucked. At that instant, he knew he wouldn't escape this situation with his life without banishing one of his friends and for once, he realized how much he cared for them all. The idea made him slightly nauseous and even more irritable than he already was.  
  
"Yes?" Hakkai cocked his head to the side as he responded to the sound of his name that he heard with his now pointed, demon ears. He laughed lightly, just barely audible over the sound of the grating wind and pounding raindrops. "You know..." Hakkai looked down at his soaked, clawed hands and grinned, "I've never felt so very...alive." With that statement, Hakkai vanished into the wind, appearing as though his body was blown away with the cold breeze.  
  
"Shit." Sanzo got ready for anything to be dealt to him and growled in frustration when he realized he couldn't sense Hakkai aura anywhere. Out of nowhere, Sanzo felt a warm breath on his ear as a small laugh escaped through Hakkai's lips. "Boo."  
  
Sanzo grabbed his gun, but wasn't able to aim as his wrist was grasped by an solid, unforgiving hand. The priest was trying with everything he had to hold onto Gojyo with the scripture, but he could see his predicament with Hakkai caused its power to waiver. Sanzo cursed under his breath as he tried to pull his arm free of Hakkai's steel hold.  
  
The priest found himself for the first time, wishing he could have the help of the monkey, but he saw that was out of the question as he watched Goku from the corner of his eye. Goku was leaned against a tree with his forehead to the bark as he raked his claws down the unfortunate oak. Sanzo had no doubt Goku was trying with everything he had to maintain his sanity and for once, Sanzo was truely terrified when he realized what could happen if Goku let go.  
  
Goku had tears streaming down his face as the world slowly tore apart. He was so angry with himself for being so weak and continued to take his frustration out on the tree. *I have to hold on...I can't...Sanzo!* "Oh Gods....I'm so sorry." Son Goku let out a small sob as his hand formed a mind of its own and took hold of the golden coronet that kept him grounded in reality. Slowly, the barrier that kept the monster at bay was peeled away and discarded as if it were nothing.  
  
***  
  
Sanzo's hope disintegrated as he was spun around to stare at Hakkai's perpetually smiling face. Though as he looked into Hakkai's eyes, he could see a falter in his expression. The one ear cuff that remained was just barely holding onto any reason Hakkai had left, which made Sanzo feel a little light of hope in this dark situation. But that feeling was crushed as Hakkai sensed the object of Sanzo's attention. With a fateful movement of his hand, Hakkai took hold of the cuff and pulled it from his ear, waving it in Sanzo's face. Sanzo's stomach dropped as Hakkai was lost and a new wave of dread washed over him.  
  
"Ah, it feels so good to get these off. You have *no* idea how uncomfortable they are to sleep on." Something clicked in the demon's head as he stared into Sanzo's tired eyes with his own cold, unfamiliar ones. "I noticed you haven't been getting enough sleep lately and it's starting to show." Hakkai's smile twisted into a sick grin. "Let me help you remedy that...*friend.*" Hakkai practically hissed the last word as he yanked on Sanzo's arm.  
  
Sanzo gasped in surprise as he was pulled forward and felt a shockwave ripple through his body as Hakkai's knee severely bruised all the internal organs in Sanzo's gut. He felt the wind knocked out of him and blood rise in his throat as he was tossed to the side. "Hak--kai..." Sanzo could barely get enough air into his lungs to gasp out Hakkai's name as a small trickle of blood streamed from his lips.  
  
Hakkai stood over Sanzo with the "cheerful" smile situated back on his face as he tossed the useless power limiter onto the priest's chest. "Well, I'm going to go play with him." Hakkai looked over as Gojyo was finally free of the scripture and casually dusting himself off. "But don't worry, I'll come back and tuck you in."  
  
***  
  
The Merciful Goddess watched eagerly at the scene unfolding as her right hand, Jiroushin looked over her shoulder. "Well, it looks like they've gotten trapped in quite a difficult situation this time."  
  
"Aren't you going to assist them at all?" Jiroushin suggested as he focused on Sanzo's pitiful form.  
  
The goddess smiled, "We'll see how these events unfold a little further. Though I may have to intervene if everything keeps going downhill for Konzen. After all, I want them to finish this mission first before they go and kill each other."  
  
"But why wait?!"  
  
"I hate to say this, but it's fascinating to see the side of Tenpou, rather Hakkai that has been restricted by the power limiters."  
  
"Merciful Goddess! Sometimes I wonder if you truly have any shred of humanity."  
  
The Goddess made herself more comfortable as she shifted in the hard marble seat. "So do I." With that said, she ignored the rest of Jiroushin's unimportant chatter and continued to watch the happenings of the lower world through the lilies. 


	9. Chapter 9

Hey! I want to take this time to thank everyone who's been reviewing my story. It's been very motivational and my muse thanks you for saving her sorry ass from getting whipped. Also, thanks to everyone who's read this and didn't leave a review (don't worry, and *don't* feel obligated, though it is like Christmas when I do get them ^-^) Anyway, you punks rock! Thanks again! Now let the chaos ensue...  
  
***************************************  
  
The sound of Hakkai's footsteps towards Gojyo were drowned out by the roar of the sky falling around them. The demon looked upon the red-head with eyes hungry for the sight of blood and claws ready for the tearing of flesh. As the moments passed it seemed that the more it rained, the more it looked as if the two once inseparable man forgot each other as anything more than a punching bag.  
  
A streak of lightening flashed across the sky, lighting up the forest and Hakkai's new form to Gojyo. The kappa stood with his arms crossed, and studied the new demonic features while he waited patiently as Hakkai slowly approached. He noted a slight twitch in Hakkai's clawed fingers, a sign that without a doubt, Hakkai wanted to start something as eagerly as he did.  
  
Hakkai stopped as another flash of lightning lit the black clouds above. "I have to warn you half-breed, that you may not leave this forest with your innards still inside you."  
  
"We'll see what happens." With a smirk, Gojyo disappeared and reappeared behind a slightly hunched Hakkai with his shakujou in hand and ready to strike.  
  
Effortlessly, Hakkai caught the crescent blade between his thumb and index finger on the down strike. With a light, haunting laugh, Hakkai looked down. "You have to be kidding me." Including that, the demon forced Gojyo over his shoulder and threw him a good ten yards into the shadows.  
  
Gojyo flipped his body and easily landed with cat-like agility as his claws dug into the moist earth to keep him from skidding. "Ch." Gojyo grumbled at how his opponent was treating him like the annoying mosquitoes that hovered around them. "I'll give you something to kid about, bastard." Gojyo let the blade of his weapon fly towards Hakkai, who easily dodged it and grinned at the thought of how amateur the attack was.  
  
However, Gojyo had some tricks up his sleeve. As the blade passed Hakkai's head, Gojyo disappeared one again only to reappear behind his victim to catch the blade and wrap it twice around his neck. The raindrops that were three feet above the ground at the start of his attack finally hit the ground as Gojyo held Hakkai by the throat with the chain.  
  
Hakkai winced as the chains pinched the sensitive skin of his neck. He didn't struggles for long though as he raised a free hand that lingered over Gojyo's leg. His claws glinted in the radiance of another flash of lightning as he brought them down, deep into Gojyo's thigh. Hakkai grinned as he heard Gojyo cry into his ear and the chains fall from his neck as he gave his claws a little twist deeper into muscle. He loved the warmth of the blood that bubbled up against his fingers and the caress of twitching muscle.  
  
Gojyo pulled his leg back as the claws released him and he slammed an elbow into the back of Hakkai's head.  
  
Both demons stumbled away from each other, enveloping themselves in the shadows that dominated the area. But it was Hakkai that casually gave up his hiding spot as he allowed an increasing chi ball to be born from the darkness. The little green ball of light lit up half of the menacing face of its creator. "I will become your grim reaper..."  
  
***  
  
Nii was in hysterics as he watched the beautiful carnage that presented itself on the monitor in front of him. He knew from the beginning his plan would work, but he never suspected it to be this amusing.  
  
Dr. Huang had her back to Nii, so utterly sick of the smug grin he held on his face now even more than ever.  
  
"Really Doctor Huang, you have to see this!" Nii mused as he watched the red-head get pummeled to the ground.  
  
"I feel that if you've seen one death, you've seen them all. I'm not interested." Dr. Huang looked back down to her work, trying to occupy her mind with something other than the subtle insults Nii hurled at her.  
  
"Oh come now, stop being so jealous that you didn't think of such a genius plan first and enjoy this! But if you're thinking about what I assume your thinking about, don't worry, I'm sure Lady Koushu will still want to see you occasionally. That is, when she isn't busy with me."  
  
"Ugh! You wretch!!"  
  
"Sticks and stones, la la la..." Nii trailed off as he relaxed back into his favorite chair, grabbed his favorite mug, and continued to watch his favorite program. "Ah, that looked like it hurt."  
  
***  
  
Gojyo and Hakkai were breathing hard as they stared at each other from across the destroyed clearing. Each demon ignored the pounding wounds they both collected as they glared at each other, trying to anticipate their opponent's next move.  
  
"You're looking pretty spent." Gojyo gasped out.  
  
"You're to talk. To me, you're nothing but a plaything."  
  
Gojyo growled, "You son of a ---"  
  
"Bitch?" Hakkai mused as he appeared behind the crossbreed and glanced over the beautifully vulnerable artery in Gojyo's neck.  
  
"Heh," Gojyo grinned as he spun around and elbowed Hakkai in the nose.   
  
Hakkai's head snapped back as he happily took the blow. Another sinister laugh echoed in his throat as he lifter his head back to look at Gojyo. His unfeeling, green eyes burned into the crimson set opposite him as he wiped away the blood from his nose with his thumb. "Bye now..." At an impossible speed, Hakkai grabbed both of Gojyo's wrists with one hand and forcefully grabbed his forehead with the other. With a twist of his body, Hakkai lifted Gojyo from the ground and launched him towards a large oak in front of them. As soon as Gojyo left Hakkai's clutch, the green-eyed demon followed up from behind to quickly finish him off, his razor sharp claws more than ready to penetrate the jugular.  
  
The act caught Gojyo by surprise, but as he flew at the tree, he managed to twist himself around to rebound off the trunk. As his feet hit the bark, he absorbed the shock into his legs and when he was in a vertical crouch, he launched himself from the tree and slammed his shoulder into Hakkai's chest.  
  
Both men fell back to the forest's floor and Hakkai grunted as his head shattered a large rock when his body hit the ground. He lay in a daze, staring up into the heavens with his vision blurred around the edges as Gojyo loomed over him.  
  
Gojyo slashed at Hakkai's chest, his claws easily ripping away the thin fabric and revealing bare flesh underneath. "Beautiful..." He brushed the shredded cloth away and stared at the vulnerable target in front of him as Hakkai groaned and a small pool of blood formed under his skull. Slowly, he brought a claw to Hakkai's collarbone and traced a bloody trail over the vines that decorated the fazed youkai's chest. As the vines snaked lower, the pressure of Gojyo's nail increased, leaving a deeper trench in Hakkai's pale skin.  
  
A hand was at Gojyo's throat in an instant as the bloody trail stopped just above the belt line. Hakkai's violent, green eyes bore into Gojyo's mind as the youkai whispered just barely audible over the rain. "You're not worthy of any more."  
  
The kappa instinctively grabbed Hakkai's throat and began to squeeze just as hard until both demons were only a few moments from choking the life from one another.  
  
Just then, the breeze carried a low, menacing chuckle from the boughs of the tree the demons fought beneath. Catching the sound on the wind, they looked up and slightly released their grip on each other as their attention was directed to two fiercely glowing golden eyes staring down on them. Lightning broke through the sky and revealed the deadly smile of Son Goku perched on the branch above. 


	10. Chapter 10

Hakkai took the opportunity to kick Gojyo off of him as his attention was averted. Gojyo stumbled back and summoned his shakujou as Hakkai slowly pushed himself up, holding his head and wobbling slightly as he righted himself.  
  
The poisoned rain had caused a sort of attention deficit disorder as Gojyo forgot about the threat above and saw only Hakkai as a target. Just as he was about to lung at Hakkai, Goku's small body appeared in the space between them.  
  
"Well, well, looks like someone else wants to join our little fight club."  
  
"So it seems," Hakkai growled softly as he brushed his saturated hair from his eyes.  
  
Gojyo looked over to Goku. "Heh, well go ahead little guy. I want you to try and hit me as hard as you can."  
  
Goku's eyes slid in Gojyo's direction as his grin grew, and in an instant, the monkey brought his body to less than a foot in front of the kappa.  
  
"--the fuck?" But before Gojyo could raise his weapon to defend himself, Goku had sunk his claws into deep into his shoulder. Gojyo's eyes widened in surprise as he suddenly felt the warmth of blood trail down his battered chest. Behind them, Hakkai decided to take the opportune moment he was looking for and hurled a chi ball at Goku's head.  
  
Sensing the energy emitted from the ball of light, Goku removed himself from its path instantly, leaving Gojyo as its target. A laugh echoed in Gojyo's ears as he stared the explosive ball of light in the face.  
  
"Shit!" Gojyo painfully raised his arms over his face and took the brunt of the impact. The force of the explosion pushed him back a good thirty feet; the distance he traveled was lengthened by the lack of traction of his shoes on the wet moss. When he finally stopped, Gojyo let his severely burned arms fall to his sides as the weight of his wounds finally began to take a toll on his strength. "Little coward." Gojyo mumbled as he applied pressure to his impaled shoulder and looked around the clearing for any sign of Goku. He glanced over to Hakkai and saw that he was grinning again and pointing upwards. Automatically, Gojyo looked up just as Goku's fists slammed down into his face.   
  
The redhead's body fell to the ground with a sick *thud* as blood immediately began to trickle from his nose and the side of his mouth. Gojyo slowly opened his eyes as his head rolled to the side, his whole body was tingling and his limbs felt unnaturally heavy. He lay like a pathetic animal that was just beaten down by its master as the only noises he could pass through his lips were soft, painful groans.  
  
Hakkai grinned as he saw the blood run from the face of the water sprite and the crimson of the blood blending perfectly with the hair. He dropped into a crouch as he watched Goku grab Gojyo's head with one hand like a basketball and lift him until they were face to face.  
  
Gojyo cringed as the feeling in his head began to come back. He agonizingly forced his eyes to look up into the face of the monster and groaned knowing that his life was in its hands. *This little punk was just too much...Ugh, I can't move.*  
  
Goku watched a bead of blood form at the other corner of Gojyo's mouth and snickered. With a quick flick of his wrist, Goku tossed Gojyo a bit above his head and brought his fist back as he wound up.  
  
The battered half-breed's gut wrenched as he awaited the final blow. But the feeling was nowhere near as bad as the sensation of a sledgehammer being slammed into his chest, no doubt splintering a rib or two. Goku's punch easily sent him across the clearing to a sturdy skeleton of a pine tree. At the moment of impact, Gojyo felt as though his left shoulder was on fire. He screamed gutturally as the pain traveled through the rest of his body. As soon as he could clear his mind enough from the pain, he wondered why his feet weren't touching the ground. His query was answered as his vision began to bleed red at the edges and he raised a shaky hand to the splintered tree branch protruding from his shoulder. His mind directly began ticking away at how to get down, but he couldn't form a plan before he passed out from shock.  
  
Hakkai stood as Goku turned his attention to the next youkai to destroy on his mental list. "Well, looks like the real demons get to play, now that the kiddies have gone to bed. But don't think that since you're a kid yourself that I'll go easy on you. I'll tear you apart as easily as anyone."  
  
Goku turned his body to Hakkai as he licked his lips and purred. His deep gold eyes darted over Hakkai's body almost salivating at the precious blood seeping from it.  
  
"Let's get this over with." Hakkai uttered as he tore away his ragged shirt and tossed it to the side. "I still have a Sanzo to deal with."  
  
In that second, both monsters quitted the scene only to appear fifty feet in the air in a death lock. Their body's disappeared again no sooner than they had appeared.  
  
Goku's became more than a blur as he slammed Hakkai into a large boulder. Hakkai immediately grabbed Goku's face; his nails digging into the soft flesh as he slammed the smaller form a couple feet into the ground with a fierce cry. Moss and rock chips flew up from around Goku's body as the monkey brought his knees to his chest and kicked Hakkai in the gut with both feet. Hakkai skidded back and as soon as his feet firmly gripped the ground, his claws were back at Goku's throat and slowly sinking into flesh.  
  
Goku was surprised at the speed and strength of his opponent. He'd never faced such a worth adversary and the thought of what could happen to him excited him all the more. Goku freed his arm from under one of Hakkai's knees and slashed his attacker across the cheek, laughing as the deep crimson liquid leaked from the imperfections in the otherwise porcelain-perfect face.  
  
Hakkai snapped his head to the side before Goku's claws raked across his good eye, and while he looked away, he blindly slashed at Goku's neck. He missed his desired objective but managed to leave deep gouges in the youth's shoulder. He growled at the miss but this time he'd keep his eye on the target. Hakkai raised his hand to strike as his claws almost seemed to lengthen when a small chi ball formed in his palm. "Time to die," Hakkai hissed as he brought his hand down to Goku's chest. The chi ball's energy become so concentrated between his palm and Goku's body that the brilliantly blinding explosion caused him to fly back a good twenty yards.  
  
Hakkai landed on his back and slid a few feet, stopping as his body just barely came to rest against a tree behind him. He let his eyes adjust as he tried to blink away the white spots that danced across his vision. Hakkai stared into the dust cloud and watched it slowly vanish. He grinned when he didn't see any sign of the monkey anywhere, having no doubt in his mind that he disintegrated the little guy. "Hm, perhaps I should've gone easier on him. Oh well. Now... where's that priest?" Hakkai looked back at the crater he created as he walked forward and suddenly bumped into a solid, breathing figure. "Wha-"  
  
Before Hakkai's word completely left his lips, he found himself plastered against a solid boulder across the clearing from where he was standing. The surprise of the attack hit him before the rise of blood in his throat. *Gack!* Hakkai coughed out an uncomfortably large amount of blood as his stomach lurched again when he heard the denser blood hit the ground over the rain. He was certain he now had a few broken ribs and was almost positive one of them was nearly impaling an organ. *Heh...My body's trying to kill itself. How ironic.* Hakkai took a ragged breath as his knees buckled and his body began to fall forward.  
  
He didn't hit the ground before Goku grasped Hakkai's shoulder and softly pushed him back against the rock. The monster's eyes followed the vine designs on his prey's face over the tattered cheeks, down the bruised jaw line, to the almost untouched flesh of his neck. Goku grinned menacingly as he brought a claw to Hakkai's throat and hovered it dangerously close to the vulnerable artery. He allowed his claw to lightly caress the skin as he clenched his teeth in anticipation for the blood that was so close to come pouring from Hakkai's body as a deafening gunshot echoed through the forest. Goku drew back his hands and let a nearly unconscious Hakkai slide to the ground against the rock as he first stared at the smoking bullet hole in the rock, then turned slowly to face a seriously pissed Genjo Sanzo. The priest cocked the gun and leveled it to Goku's bare forehead. "Playtime's over, Goku." 


	11. Chapter 11

Sanzo decided it was time to intervene. He'd been crouching in the bushes for the past half hour as Goku took care of Hakkai and Gojyo. It was hell watching those he'd been traveling with brutally beaten in front of him and almost equally as painful as standing after his knees had locked up. But he knew the easiest way to take care of Goku was if he only had to deal with Goku. *Sorry Hakkai...Gojyo. It's the way it had to be.*  
  
Goku smirked as he lowered his head and his hands balled into fists. A faint laugh escaped from his throat as he vanished into the dying rain. A half second later, Goku appeared behind Sanzo and hearing the snap of a twig under the monkey's foot, the priest spun around and immediately fired five shots. "Still clumsy!"  
  
The monkey vanished once again before the warm metal of the bullets could touch his skin. Appearing once again floating four feet above the damp ground to swing a kick at Sanzo's neck. The priest was barely able to hold up his forearm to block, but he managed to keep the foot from caving his face in, though the force from the kick was sure to leave a nasty bruise. Snarling in frustration, Goku disappeared again only to appear twenty feet from Sanzo, glaring with a mix of disgust and annoyance. As much as he loved to kill anything in his path, he was getting a little fed up with all the obstacles that kept popping up. Not to mention he hated admitting that they were turning out to be more of a threat than he though they'd be. The demon watched the priest carefully as his opponent quickly reloaded.  
  
"Goku, give it up!" Sanzo fired twice at Goku, hoping Goku would help him miss.  
  
He nearly breathed a sigh of relief as Goku's frame melted into the rain. "Goddamnit." Sanzo held his gun ready for any sign of Goku. However, he wasn't ready enough to be knocked hard against the tree to the left of him. The wind was knocked from his gut for the second time that day, but he pushed the sensation from his mind and fired a single shot to the front of him, knowing Goku wasn't so stupid as to stay to the right of him in such an obvious place.  
  
Goku's eyes widened as he gasped. The bullet had just barely grazed the skin of his shoulder and left a smoking tear in his cape. This priest wasn't fucking around and he began to take him a lot more seriously than just a plaything like the others had been. Goku's expression of surprise vanished as he growled loudly and glared at Sanzo and sent a punch hard into Sanzo's relaxed gut in the same spot he'd been pummeled by Hakkai.  
  
Sanzo's vision whited out for a moment as the blood he'd been holding back in his throat finally escaped from his mouth and splattered on Goku's bruised cheek. The raindrops on the monkey's skin took hold of the blood and together they ran to his lips as Goku gladly licked the watery blood away. "Little bastard." Sanzo gasped out as his knees buckled and he fell onto his back. Goku was instantly straddled across his stomach with his claws looking sharper than ever and threatening to turn Sanzo's head into a pin cushion .   
  
Goku raised his claws and got ready to free Sanzo's esophagus from his throat. But Sanzo wasn't planning on going like a little defenseless pansy. His Smith & Wesson was pressed hard enough to bruise against Goku's neck in a flash as he grabbed the monkey's arm firmly. The two stared into each other eyes long and hard as the almost inescapable situation really set into their minds.  
  
Sanzo's heartbeat quickened as he found himself on the edge of panicking. The feeling that was once so alien was beginning to become so much more familiar. The gold eyes that stared down at him were so intense, so deeply focused, so irreplaceable. His heart skipped a beat as he swore that as he looked deeper, he could see the Goku he knew behind these alien eyes. *Gods....Don't make me shoot him....* What was this? Shit...this feeling, the most dangerous feeling a human being was capable of possessing was arising in Sanzo's consciousness. He never realized until now just how much he...cared. As much as he tried to push it away, or at least suppress it, the feeling seemed to come back ten fold. *It's those goddamn eyes.*  
  
Goku twitched and Sanzo cocked the gun instantly; his finger pressing treacherously hard on the now warm trigger. *I swear if you make me shoot him....* Sanzo though to the Gods. *I'll make your eternity a living hell.*   
  
Goku scowled at the human that held him, enraged that he was trapped in such a pitiful, but lethal situation. He knew full well what the gun as well as the priest were capable of and hated the idea of risking his existence, but he was beginning to grow desperate. He'd just have to kill. He'd done it in the past and he lived, so why should this situation be any different?   
  
Sanzo recognized that look in his eyes. *Shit!* He closed his eyes and looked away as he felt Goku's body move as he brought his hand down and squeezed the trigger. "Goku!" Sanzo screamed, his tone almost apologetic over the sound of the gun firing. But before the bullet left the barrel, a wave of intense heat washed over Sanzo and everything turned a fiery orange. He felt the weight of Goku's body vanish as the burning wind did. *I...killed him. Gods...I killed--* Instantly, Sanzo's mind filled with thoughts of heavenly anarchy, but when he opened his eyes the plans of retribution were washed away as he saw Goku peel himself from a severely burnt oak not far from him. If a person could die from relief, Sanzo would be a dead man then and there. He knew for this he'd have to give up bad-mouthing the Gods for a little while. But what the hell just happened? There was no way Hakkai or Gojyo could've intervened as they were as useful as the moss around Sanzo's head.  
  
A small laugh echoed from a high ledge looking over the clearing and Sanzo looked up towards the noise. There stood the son of Gyumoah with a big grin of triumph plastered on his face. "I hope I didn't disturb anything too sentimental."  
  
"Not in the least." Sanzo lifted himself from the ground and plucked the damp, clingy leaves from his equally wet clothes. He watched Goku stumble away from the tree and regain his composure, all the while silently thanking Kougaji's timely actions.  
  
"Well you can thank us for saving your sorry ass later, baldie." Lirin chirped as she stepped out of the shadows with Yaone at her side and Doukugakuji not far behind.  
  
"Ch, fat chance." Sanzo looked back to Goku who was eyeing each of the new adversaries over and getting himself in a position where he could easily defend himself if he needed to. Although, the new company didn't look like they'd be too much of a threat.  
  
"Where's the other two?" Kougaji asked as he looked around, only to answer his own question a moment later as he saw the sorry shape the other two members of the Sanzo party were in. "My Gods...They did this to each other?"  
  
"Gojyo..." Doukugakuji gasped as he saw his younger brother dangling lifelessly from the tree. He couldn't peel his eyes from him as the brotherly instinct inside Doukugakuji bubbled up at the sight of the blood dripping one droplet at a time from Gojyo' cold fingers. At the same time, Yaone's eyes came to rest upon Hakkai's pitiful form leaned against a bloody boulder. She brought a hand to her mouth as she took in the mangled heap.  
  
"Deal with them after, we need to take care of Goku." Sanzo stated.  
  
"What makes you so sure we want to help you guys out anyway?" Kougaki growled as he jumped from the ledge.  
  
"For one, I'm not an idiot. I can see that your companions have a little sympathy towards those two morons." Sanzo cocked his gun as Goku took a shaky step forward. "And two, who would you have to keep you busy if we were gone? Besides, if I go, he's likely to come after you next and I know you wouldn't want your friends to go through the beat down you went through last time."  
  
The memory stung Kougaji but he realized Sanzo spoke the truth about Goku coming after those he held close. "Heh, fine. I'll give you that one." Kougaji said as he took a ready stance. "I was really hoping for a rematch against that stupid monkey."  
  
"Don't get cocky, Kougaji. He did seriously kick your royal ass last time he was berserk. We don't need to fight him so much as distract him enough for me to get the coronet back on him.  
  
Kougaji grumbled in disappointment, but quickly formulated a plan anyway. "Yaone?"  
  
The apothecary nodded as she understood the silent instructions Kougaji spoke through his eyes. "Right." With that, Yaone vanished silently up into the trees.  
  
Doukugakuji gave Gojyo one last glance as he came up beside Kougaji; his sword materializing in his hand. "Think this will work?"  
  
"He's heavily wounded, so we might actually be able to pull this off. Just make sure the priest can get a hold of him."  
  
"Aye." Doukugakuji confirmed as he took his place on the other side of Goku so that the three remaining men formed a triangle around the cornered beast.  
  
Sanzo and Goku's eyes were locked. The priest watched Goku falter slightly as he took another step forward. *Those idiots better hurry up.* "Goku, just stay where you are." He sighed, knowing there was no way to get through as Goku grinned evilly at Sanzo. "Shit." Why did he even bother?  
  
Goku leapt at Sanzo as a barrage of smoke bombs crashed into the ground around them and immediately filled the clearing with a dense sulfuric fog. Sanzo ducked out of the way as Kougaji and Doukugakuji simultaneously slammed their shoulders into Goku's chest and knocked him against the tree. Goku's mouth gaped opened in a silent scream as the wind was ruthlessly knocked from his lungs and the pain of his sternum bowing under the force.  
  
Sanzo spun around and concentrated on Goku's aura, finding his location almost immediately and shoving the other two demons from Goku. Without delay, he pushed the easily recognizable metal of his gun hard to Goku's neck. Sanzo pressed his body hard against Goku's as he pinned him to the tree and brought his hand to Goku's forehead. But before he could start chanting the sutra, Goku dug his claws into Sanzo's sides and rakes his claws down the lithe body. The cloth of the shirt Sanzo wore easily gave way as the claws ran through it and left bloody lines in the skin underneath. Sanzo cringed but continued with the sutra as he pressed harder against the struggling body under him; his grip on Goku's forehead tightening as he labored over finishing the prayer.  
  
Goku screamed as a white light encircled his head when Sanzo nearly screamed the final word of the sutra and gripped the monk's sides hard. Sanzo cried out as the claws pierced his skin once again, but the pain was quickly forgotten when the beautiful golden coronet appeared around Goku's forehead. *Thank Gods.* Genjo Sanzo breathed a sigh of relief as he caught an unconscious Goku in his arms. It was then the clouds decided to part just enough to let the moon peek through the barricades to look on at the world below. The pale moonlight shone down and let the coronet glow in the miserable darkness.  
  
When Yaone saw that Goku was no longer a threat, she jumped from her perch in the tree behind him down to Hakkai's resting place. She stepped cautiously towards the barely conscious youkai with a small vile in her hand. Hakkai's gaze followed her carefully through his one barely opened eye, growling as she knelt close to him.  
  
"Oh, Hakkai. Here, just swallow some of this and everything will be just fine. I promise." Yaone popped the small cork from the mouth of the bottle as she settled beside Hakkai.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Sanzo walked up behind the apothecary with Goku in his arms, his harsh voice startling her a bit.  
  
Yaone smiled. "Well, a long time ago someone wrote down a rule every dignified scientist follows to this day."  
  
"What are you saying? I'll kill you if this is a riddle."   
  
Yaone nodded and held up the bottle. "Every scientist produces an antidote."  
  
"An antidote? What for?"  
  
Kougaji stepped forward to clear things up. "To make a long story short, one of our leading scientists developed a mixture that would bring forth the full power of a demon. By spreading the mixture into the clouds the water activated the chemicals, thus causing it to rain down on your comrades and cause...this. Understand?"  
  
"I see. It makes sense now...Fine then, how did you get the antidote? And why are you doing this?"  
  
"We got the remedy from an associate of the scientist who didn't agree so much with this little operation. As for why we're doing this, let's just say I'd rather kill you with my own hands instead of having some old quack off you." Kougaji muttered as he swatted a mosquito.  
  
"Ch. Of course, I couldn't expect any different of an attitude from you, *Prince.*"Yaone's soothing voice interrupted the conversation as she pleaded with Hakkai to take the contents of the flask. Hakkai stared at her, panting heavily as Yaone gently grasped the back of his head to tilt it forward from against the rock.   
  
A sharp pain shot through Hakkai's skull as a finger pressed on a sensitive wound at the base of his head. Automatically, he slapped her arm away with a angry snarl. His bloody arm fell limply over his equally bloody stomach as Yaone's arm was knocked away. She looked at the red stain of a handprint on her forearm, then back into Hakkai's heartless eyes. "Please Hakkai, just take it." Yaone glanced at the bloody path the vines traveled over on Hakkai's battered face and whispered as she lifted the bottle to his lips and tipped a third of the contents inside.  
  
The liquid stung like acid as it slid down Hakkai's throat but there wasn't much he could do about it. His limbs were dead and thinking began to become almost painful. However as moments passed the bitter taste in his mouth started to vanish, as did the angry, hateful, murderous feelings. A state of relaxation washed over his body as the antidote quickly disintegrated any remaining poison circulating in his body. Before closing his eye, he stared into the finally familiar face of Yaone and for the first time in hours, he smiled without any evil intention in mind. "Yaone..." Closing his eye, Cho Hakkai drifted off as the severity his wounds took the best of his consciousness.   
  
"Thank Gods..." Yaone sighed as held the bottle ready for the next patient and watched Doukugakuji make his way over to Gojyo. "Well that's one part of our problem with him taken care of. I mean, how are we going to get more power limiters way out here?"  
  
"You couldn't mean these." Kougaji held out his hand as two small silver cuffs glinted in the moonlight. "My eye only caught two, but it's better than nothing."  
  
"I suppose so." Yaone nodded as she stood to take the cuffs.  
  
Sanzo grunted a little as he shifted Goku in his arms to pull out the third silver cuff from his pocket that Hakkai had thrown on him. He handed it to Yaone who immediately went to replacing the cuffs on Hakkai's left ear. As she slid the third cuff on, the demon ears and fangs disappeared. The party watched intently as the vine patterns adorning the fallen youkai's body slowly erase themselves from the pale skin.  
  
"I'm afraid he's not out of the water yet. He's still seriously injured."  
  
"Ch, obviously." Sanzo interrupted as he shifted Goku back into a comfortable position.  
  
Yaone shook her head and continued. "Anyway, I could try to bandage the external wounds as best I can, however...I'm afraid he has extreme internal bleeding as well."  
  
Sanzo growled, "And the nearest town isn't for two more days. Go fucking figure."  
  
"I'm afraid so." Yaone looked back down as she pulled out a bottle of iodine, gauze and a needle and thread for the deepest wounds, which unfortunately were the most plentiful.  
  
  
  
***  
  
Doukugakuji's head was just about the same height as Gojyo's stomach as he looked up to his skewered half-brother. "Oh man, Gojyo. I really hope your fully unconscious cause this might hurt a little bit." With that Doukugakuji carefully lifted Gojyo's body up and slid him off the branch, wincing at the blood that dripped down onto his face. He caught Gojyo in his arms and looked over the battered kappa's face. Doukugakuji moved some of the crimson locks from the slightly swollen eyes as they fluttered open. "Gojyo!" Doukugakuji watched as a hand slowly came to his face in an attempt to attack but which really turned out like a painful caress as the claws softly slid over the chiseled cheek bones leaving only small scratches on the skin. Gojyo's hand flopped back onto his stomach as he eyed his brother with distant eyes. "C'mon, let's have Yaone take a look at you." Doukugakuji walked carefully over to Yaone and the rest as he watched Yaone pull out various bottles of medicine. "Good, she brought the needle."  
  
Doukugakuji lay Gojyo down beside Hakkai. He stood and looked to Sanzo, then to Goku. "What about him?"  
  
"Take care of those two first, they need more attention then he does right now." Sanzo said as he looked up from Goku's sleeping face.  
  
"I'm going to need some help from all of you," Yaone piped in sternly as she struggled with sewing a deep gash on Hakkai's arm. "Lord Kougaji..."  
  
Kougaji looked down at his foe then to Yaone's pleading eyes. "Haven't we done enough already?"  
  
"Please Kougaji."  
  
Kougaji's will broke as Yaone's eyes buried themselves into his. The prince growled in defeat, "Ugh, very well."  
  
"Thank you, My Lord." Then turning to Sanzo and Doukugakuji she added, "You two as well."  
  
"What about--?" Sanzo started.  
  
"Lirin can take care of Goku. Now if you want your friends to die just keep standing there."  
  
Kougaji was caught off guard as he had never heard this tone in Yaone's voice but nevertheless, he and the other two makeshift nurses bandaged and salved the wounds Yaone assigned to them.  
  
***  
  
Dr Nii grinned as Dr. Huang entered the lab. "Well, well. If it isn't the girl I wanted to talk to most."  
  
Dr. Huang stiffened a bit, but caught herself before she showed any notion that she was uncomfortable. She straightened her glasses and looked smugly to the rat seated at the desk to the right of her.  
  
Nii laughed a little as he spun around in his chair, peeling his eyes from the screen he'd been watching for half the night. "Now doctor, you should know that I've kept my eye on the Sanzo party so that nothing slipped by me. And my attention caught one little bit of information that explained why I couldn't find the antidote for the last few hours."  
  
"Dr. Nii I--"  
  
Nii held up his hand, "Dr. Huang, I'm not mad at you and I want you to know I'm always here for you to talk to me about any problems you have with my actions." Nii watched as Dr. Huang shifted nervously. "Oh, and don't worry, I won't mention this little incident to Lady Koushu, so you can relax. However, in doing you this kind favor I expect something from you in return."  
  
"What is that?"  
  
Nii swiped his hand over the top shelf of his desk, knocking over half a dozen large vials of chemicals onto the floor. "Clean up for me, hm? I'm taking bunny out."  
  
Dr. Huang clenched her fists as the broken glass crashed to the floor. But she held her tongue as she knew Nii could very well inform Lady Koushu of her actions.  
  
"Oh and by the way, acid on base, base on acid, alright? Great, tootles."  
  
"Why do you act as if this doesn't bother you!?" Dr Huang couldn't hold it in anymore.  
  
Nii stopped in the doorway, placing the hand he was petting Bunny with on the doorframe. "You know, I'm not acting. It's just that I was bored and wanted a show. I never really cared if I ended up defeating them as long as I got the beautiful performance I had the pleasure of viewing for the last few hours. Besides, I'm not paid enough to *really* take care of them. I only work as hard as I'm paid to, you know that by now...*dear.*" Nii slid the heavy door closed behind him as he decided to wander the halls of the west wing for a while. Leaving Dr. Huang cursing the doctor's very disgusting existence.  
  
***  
  
Yaone wiped a few beads of sweat from her forehead as she stood and peered down at the three unconscious demons. Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai looked like sorry excuses for mummies as they lay against the bloodstained boulder.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sanzo, but this is all I'm able to do. I hope you all make it to the town alright."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, we'll be fine." Sanzo grumbled as he stared down at his comrades.  
  
"You say you'll be fine, hm? Well priest, how exactly do you plan on getting there?" Kougaji smirked as he saw Sanzo bite his lip in thought.  
  
*Shit...*  
  
As if on queue, a familiar high pitched squeal pierced Sanzo's ears in the silent night. Sanzo spun around to see the little white dragon fly from out of the trees and land beside Hakkai. The priest grinned, it looked as if things would be turning out alright, meaning the sooner he could get one with this ludicrous journey.  
  
Kougaji and his companions looked to the small dragon who was pacing back and forth, stressing over his best friend's condition. "Well," The prince started. "I see you're all set to be on your way. We'll make sure to send Get Well cards your way."  
  
"Don't waste your time." Sanzo snapped back as his foes took one last look at the fallen demons before vanishing back to the castle.  
  
Sanzo sighed as he walked over to Hakuryuu and knelt beside it. "Well, looks like they're in pretty bad shape, hm? These idiots just hold me back all the time. We could've been seventy miles from....here." Sanzo's voice softened as Hakuryuu looked up at him with his watery, beady, red eyes. Sanzo groaned and whispered, "They'll be fine. We'll make it...hopefully."  
  
A hand was suddenly placed on Sanzo's shoulder and in an instant, the priest had his gun pointed between the eyes of the intruder. Then, Sanzo gasped. "What the hell are *you* doing here?"  
  
The Merciful Goddess stared down at the priest and his three mummified comrades. "I made a bet with Jiroushin that I do possess *some* humanity. So here I am."   
  
"We'll be fine. So you can cart your divine ass back up to the heavens."  
  
"Oh don't be selfish. You're friends are bleeding on the inside and will be lucky to make it another five hours. Face it, Konzen, you need my help. You and your party are going to the west and you're going together so for heaven's sake, step aside."  
  
Sanzo muttered curses under his breath as he stood and stepped to the side, his hand traveled to the wounds he possessed on his sides so that he'd be spared the goddess's healing. He watched the Goddess place a hand over Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku's stomachs and chests as their bodies began to glow the same color as the moonlight. Within a few moments, the divinity stood back up and dusted her knees off.   
  
"Well that should suffice for now."  
  
"They still look like shit to me." Sanzo glared at the beaming deity to the right of him.  
  
"I healed their internal injuries but I'm going to let them deal with everything else themselves. I'm not your babysitter for crying out loud."  
  
"Heh, I'd rather have a baby-shaking Brittish nanny before I trusted you to baby sit."  
  
"Well I can see you're relieved, Konzen." The Merciful Goddess turned to leave and was just about to head back before she caught herself. Spinning around she suddenly planted a healing kiss on Sanzo's unexpecting lips. Sanzo could feel his wounds instantly close as he stood paralyzed. His eyes narrowed as he snapped out of the Goddess's spell and jumped back, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Now, I've got some rewards to collect from Jiroushin, so if you'll excuse me. Now hurry along, their wounds can still be fatal if you just sit around on your ass like this."  
  
"I'll go when I feel like it, goddamnit!" Sanzo screamed into thin air as the Goddess vanished and left an irritating laugh ringing in Sanzo's ears. The priest turned to the little dragon who was curled up around Hakkai's unbandaged, its head resting on the bruised knuckles. "Well c'mon, dragon. We have to get these asses medical attention sometime soon supposedly."  
  
Hakuryuu lifted his head and stared solemnly into Sanzo's eyes. The priest turned away just in case the little dragon caught a glimpse of worry in the violet irises. "Kyuu!" Hakuryuu licked Hakkai's hand and flew a few yards from Sanzo and the others before transforming into the jeep in a cloud of smoke.  
  
As Sanzo was moving Gojyo, he noticed a cigarette pack sticking out of his vest pocket, Sanzo groaned as he shifted Gojyo carefully and grabbed the pack. He set Gojyo down and walked back to Hakkai as he pulled out a mutilated cigarette. "I don't see how that bastard can stand these pieces of shit." But nonetheless, Sanzo quickly lit up a Hi-Lite as he began to transport his companions to the jeep, being extra careful not to tear any stitches After all, nicotine is nicotine. It seemed like forever passed by until Sanzo had everyone situated. Goku and Gojyo were in the back on blankets on the floor and Hakkai was propped up in the passenger seat. Sanzo glanced at each beaten face and sighed as he realized he was in charge of whether or not they lived. He looked down to the stick shift and bit his lip as he glared at it. "Shit. How the hell do you drive one of these things?"  
  
TBC: Come back for the upcoming Final Chapter....after all every tale must come to an end.... 


	12. Chapter 12

*A.N Well this is it. The Final Chapter (dun dun duuuun) I just want to thank everyone who stuck with this little tale and those who reviewed. You punks rock. Also I want to apologize for the amount of time this chapter took to finish. It's the week before spring break meaning teachers have to cram everything they can into these remaining days. Not only that, but I wanted to make sure this chapter turned out good. I hope you all like it. sniffles It's my pride and joy, but there's more journeys to write about and more boys to torture. grins Thanks again you guys. Enjoy. ^_^*  
  
Sanzo sat beside and open window in the town hospital. He stared up into the sky vacantly as the smoke from his cigarette seemed to blend into the fluffy clouds above. It was another beautiful, warm, sunny day with a pleasant light breeze. Sanzo's gaze drifted to an orange butterfly that fluttered by, contrasting against the cerulean sky. Just like the paper airplane, the colors from opposite sides of the wheel complimented each other perfectly. The image helped with the nicotine to put him at ease.  
  
It had been three days since Sanzo had arrived in town with his barely breathing passengers. It had been two and a half days of a hell ride to the town as Sanzo swore he stalled every time he switched gears. Luckily when he did manage the right gear, Hakuryuu helped him out as much as it could.  
  
Three days....They were probably still unconscious but they should be waking up soon...hopefully. How many hours did the doctors say they had left to live when he rushed through the hospital doors? He couldn't remember, but he knew it was a single digit amount of time. Sanzo took another drag and casually tapped some ashes from the cigarette. *At least they're still alive.* During his stay at the hospital, Sanzo realized just how far their enemies were willing to go to obtain the scripture, and it made him shudder. But he also realized that since they made it (barely) through the hell they'd gone through, they could probably pull their asses out of anything. Sanzo finished off his cigarette, dragging it down to the filter before flicking it out the window. He exhaled as he stood, the smoke streaming from between parched lips. "Seven cigarettes...Time to have a look at their sorry faces again."  
  
The priest made his way down the hall, passing by people who seemed less and less qualified as he journeyed to his comrades' room. *Four rooms down on the left.* The hallway was disgustingly warm and stuffy. Without a second thought, Sanzo slithered out of the top of his robe and let it fall over his waist as he fixed the tight black shirt he wore underneath. He got to the door and slowly opened it, trying his hardest not to make it creak this time. *Why do I bother? It's not like they can hear me anyway.*  
  
Sanzo stepped into the cool, fresh room. The nurses had let the windows he'd opened stay that way, allowing an easy breeze to past through the room. Sanzo looked from Gojyo to Hakkai and Hakuryuu and let his eyes rest on Goku. They hadn't moved since he came in a couple hours earlier nor had the beams of sunlight that played across their serene faces.  
  
He walked over to the sun-warmed chair besides Goku's bed and sat down, grabbing the paper from the table beside him. Sanzo pulled a pair of glasses from the folds of his robe and wiped the lenses before putting them on. He opened the paper up, scanning the headlines. "Hope you're all getting your rest because I'm not thanks to you idiots." Sanzo slid a sideways glance to Goku. "Especially you, Goku." He paused as he looked back to the paper and turned the page. "You had me worried sick."  
  
"Sorry..." Goku's cracked voice drifted through the room.  
  
The priest jumped in surprise, not only from the fact that he was awake, but also that someone actually heard an emotional comment from him. "Goku?!"  
  
Goku's eyes slowly opened and the gold orbs sparkled innocently in the sun. He blinked slowly before the strands of hair, blown by the wind, brushed over the pools Sanzo was transfixed by. "Hey..."  
  
"Hey." Sanzo closed the news paper and set it down on his lap, he then pulled off his glasses.  
  
The two just stared at each other in silence as the wind ruffled the thin, white curtains. Sanzo's eyes caught Goku shiver underneath the thin, bleached bed sheet.  
  
"Did you want the window shut?" Sanzo asked quietly.  
  
Goku was surprised at the unusual lightness of the priest's tone. Goku just guessed this is what stress and sleep deprivation can do to an easily irritable monk and passed it off as that. Although, he did really enjoy it. "Nah, I'm fine."  
  
"Suit yourself." Sanzo opened the paper once again after returning his glasses back to his face. Silence again. Sanzo sat there pretending to read as Goku looked him over. Irritated as he felt eyes on him, Sanzo glared at Goku. "What is it?" Sanzo asked curtly.   
  
"Just wanted to see that you're OK."  
  
"Why wouldn't I be?"  
  
"I- I just feel as though I hurt you pretty bad. Just a vibe I guess."  
  
Sanzo smirked. "You're giving yourself too much credit, monkey."  
  
Goku half laughed, "Still...I'm sorry."  
  
Sanzo grumbled as he dropped the paper to the floor and stood up, leaning onto the bed with both hands pressing into the firm mattress. His violet eyes were intense behind the magnified lenses as they mixed with the gold ones beneath him. "Listen...I...you...Ugh." Sanzo bit his lip as he wanted for once to speak from his heart so badly but his ego intervened once again. Not only that, but he felt as though he'd faint if Goku kept searching his eyes for an answer as intently as he was. But he didn't faint as a smile of understanding crept across Goku's dry lips.  
  
"Heh, yeah I know."  
  
Sanzo closed his eyes in relief as he sat back in his chair. The breeze was back again and this time it brought the distinct smell of fresh meat buns into the room.  
  
A strand of hair blew into Goku's eyes and he immediately tried to blink it out. Goku tried to raise his arm but winced as he felt how stiff it was as it had not been moved in days.  
  
Sanzo sighed, "Wait." With that, Sanzo brushed the hair away gently with his calloused fingers running lightly over Goku's brow.  
  
Goku blinked and looked at Sanzo with a smile. "Thanks."  
  
"Don't look too much into it." Sanzo glanced to the side as if seeing if anyone saw this rare act of kindness. No one...Good. The priest focused back on Goku and as his eyes laid upon him, the familiar sound of a growling stomach echoed from under the bed sheets. Sanzo couldn't help but let something that resembled a laugh escape his lips. "Hungry?"  
  
"Starving..."  
  
Sanzo stood up straight, replacing the robe back on his shoulders. "Fine, I'll get you some meat buns or something if it'll shut you up for a while."  
  
Goku nodded a little as he smiled a bit, "Yeah!" It was good to hear Sanzo back to normal. Though he liked the softer side, it just seemed too surreal. Maybe he was a masochist, he didn't know, but hearing Sanzo being an asshole again comforted him.  
  
"Could you pick up something for me as well?" A light voice floated from Hakkai's corner of the room.   
  
Sanzo turned around to see Hakkai propping himself up on a pillow as he smiled at him with his happy, bandaged face.  
  
"Ugh, fine."  
  
"Thanks...I'm famished."  
  
"Hurry up, Sanzo! I think my stomach's starting to eat itself!" Goku piped in, as he tried to slowly work the stiffness from his limbs.  
  
"For Gods' sake, I'm going!" Sanzo stormed out of the room and down the stairs. Goku and Hakkai could hear Sanzo storm out of the hospital as they smiled at each other. "Oh yeah he's relieved." Hakkai started.  
  
"No shit, it was plastered on his face."  
  
"Who knew he was capable of...feelings."  
  
Goku smiled. "We probably shouldn't bring it up."  
  
"Blackmail?"  
  
"We probably shouldn't bring it up....unless it's blackmail." Goku laughed with Hakkai. The monkey's gaze wandered to the unconscious kappa on the opposite side of the room from him. "You think he's gonna be alright?"  
  
"Gojyo looks like he took a pretty bad beating. But I think I've heard him talking in his sleep so he should be waking up any moment now."  
  
Goku shuddered. "The things he talks about when he's awake is bad enough. I'd hate to hear what he dreams about."  
  
"Oh yeah...It's definitely not for kids." Hakkai congratulated himself silently as he restrained a blush.  
  
***  
  
Kougaji stepped into the his father's chambers, his footsteps reverberating off the cold, shadowed walls. He knew what his summoning was about and he was ready to hold back the rage that would build up from within when the slut sitting up on her throne opened her mouth. "You wanted to see me."  
  
Lady Koushu stood up, a scowl fixed on her face. "Exactly, who's side are you on, Prince?"  
  
Kougaji growled, "My mother's. You know that already."  
  
"Yes, your mother. Speaking of which, she does look awfully nice decorating the wall in the other room doesn't she?" The concubine smirked as she saw Kougaji's fists clench. "I suppose with a few curtains and some better lighting we'd be the envy of every home decorator wouldn't we?"  
  
"Enough!"  
  
"Hit a nerve, hm? Well let me drill this into your thick skull *again.* Until you obtain that scripture you and your mother's asses are mine! So I suggest next time you want to go out and play with the Sanzo party you had better leave them dead in the sandbox! Do I make myself clear?"  
  
"Irritatingly so."  
  
"Good enough. Now get out of my sight so I can talk to your father about your behavior."  
  
Kougaji stormed out of the room and down the hall. He wasn't more than ten feet from the room until he ran into Yaone, Doukugakuji, and Lirin.  
  
"Got chewed out by the whore, hm?" Doukugakuji asked.  
  
"Heh...Whore? Who would pay for that? And on that note, please don't ever repeat that sentence again."  
  
"She's a goddamn slut!" Lirin threw in.  
  
"Lady Lirin!" Yaone placed a hand firmly on her shoulder. "That's really not something someone your age should say."  
  
"So what did she say?" Doukugakuji asked as they all turned and walked down the hall.  
  
Kougaji shrugged, "Who cares. Her little rant went in one ear and out the other."  
  
"So what do we do now, big brother?" Lirin quickened her pace to catch up with Kougaji.  
  
"Oh...I don't know. We could send the Sanzo party a card." Kougaji smiled.  
  
"Are you for real?" Lirin looked up and searched Kougaji's serious expression.  
  
Kougaji just laughed along with Yaone and Doukugakuji as Lirin was too puzzled to take another step.  
  
"You guys are a bunch of weirdoes!"  
  
***  
  
Sanzo came back up to the room holding a large box of meat buns with both hands. "I know this won't hold you over for more than five minutes, but if you want more, you can go get them yourselves." Sanzo grumbled as he shut the door behind him with his foot. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Hakkai and Goku sitting up in their beds. Sanzo set the box down on a table next to him and pulled out two meat buns.  
  
Goku's face instantly lit up, it seemed like he'd almost fully healed in the fifteen minutes Sanzo was gone. The same went for Hakkai, Sanzo noticed as he handed him a meat bun and tossed the other to Goku, who, not surprisingly, caught it in his mouth. Sanzo then looked over to Gojyo who was still unconscious. "Still hasn't woken up, hm?"  
  
Hakkai looked up after he swallowed a bite over to the kappa beside him. "I overheard some of the doctors saying that he was a tough one to bring back."  
  
Sanzo nodded, "He was pretty torn up."  
  
Goku lowered his gaze from Sanzo and picked at his thumb uncomfortably. "What happened to us, Sanzo? Me and Hakkai can't remember anything."  
  
The priest sighed and pulled out a pack of Marlboros, shaking a cigarette up from the carton and pulling it free with his lips. He dug for the matches in his robe and when he found them, he lit up, proceeding to shake out the flame of the match and tossing it out an open window. Sanzo replaced the book of matches as he closed his eyes and began. "It seemed our friends in the west spread some poison into the rain which caused you guys to go berserk. Of course, that's the abridged version." Sanzo opened his eyes to see the solemn and ashamed expressions on Goku and Hakkai's faces. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Listen, cut the shit. You know as well as I do that you couldn't control anything that happened so stop being so melodramatic and accept it! Anyways," Sanzo's voice softened slightly. "We got through it didn't we?"  
  
Hakkai nodded, "I understand, but I just--"  
  
Sanzo's gun was cocked and aimed at Hakkai's temple before he could finish. "One more word and I'll kill you." The priest threw another meat bun to Hakkai and Goku who slowly drifted out of their bouts as they bit into the warm bun. Sanzo replaced the gun back in the holster hidden under the folds of cloth as he leaned back and took a meat bun for himself.  
  
There was a slight movement from Gojyo's bed which caught the attention of everyone in the room. "N-no...please just a little....more...nnn."  
  
Goku's brow raised, "Ugh, I *really* don't want to hear this! He's such a pervert."  
  
Gojyo rolled onto his side as his brows furrowed, his eyes moving nonstop beneath the lids.  
  
Hakkai looked up to Sanzo, "Why don't you try waking him up. I'm sure he'd like a meat bun before Goku gets a hold of all of them."  
  
"Why me? You're right there?"  
  
Hakkai smiled and held up a finger matter-of-factly, "Doctor's orders, I'm not supposed to leave this bed for a week. They came in to check on us while you were gone. It's a shame Gojyo wasn't awake, I'm sure he would've gotten his daily dose of babe from it."  
  
"You really piss me off sometimes. And as a side note, if I were you, I'd find it rather uncomfortable that the nurses here look more like concubines than certified medical staff." Sanzo stood as he took a drag and walked to Gojyo's bed, shaking the redhead's shoulder as lightly as he could (though it still was rather rough). "Hey, open your stupid eyes." Sanzo growled when there was no more response than a soft groan. "Wake the hell up. Ugh. OK, there's naked chicks here with beer and smokes."  
  
Gojyo's mouth twisted into a light smile as he grabbed Sanzo's hand and held it to his chest. "Oh, Ayame. You're the only one I want to serve me drinks."  
  
Sanzo closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as he pulled out his gun once again.   
  
"Sanzo! Calm down! He's just dreaming." Hakkai looked at the situation the priest was in and tried his best to hold back a laugh. He couldn't help that a bit slip but he covered it up as a cough.  
  
"Shut up. I'll turn this dream into a nightmare if he doesn't let go of me." Sanzo forced himself to replace his gun as Gojyo purred a little and murmured some incomprehensible sweet nothings as he rubbed his hand over Sanzo's. "Gah! Wake up!!" Sanzo couldn't help but smack the kappa over the head with his fan, the vein in his forehead was throbbing.  
  
Gojyo's cringed as he immediately awoke, his word's coming before his eyes opened. "Ayame...are we a bit of a sa--" Gojyo opened his eyes to find himself really clutching someone's hand. "--dist?" He looked up to see Sanzo's face and he could see just how hard the priest was trying not to kill him. Then a thought struck him which made him sick. "You pervert!! Trying to take advantage of an unconscious man!"  
  
"What?! You were the one molesting my hand, you idiot!"  
  
"Why in Gods' name would I want to--" Gojyo winced as he raised the arm that had been impaled days earlier. "Ah! Fuck..."  
  
"Just shut up and eat." Sanzo shoved a meat bun into Gojyo's mouth as he went back to his seat. "Now that everyone's awake--"  
  
"Sanzo!! Can I have another meat bun?" Goku interrupted, an action causing a bun to be thrown into his face, the impact produced some burning filling from the side to ooze onto Goku's cheek. "Ow! This one's hot! Hot!"  
  
"Then don't interrupt me again, stupid monkey. As I was saying--"  
  
"Hey monk, how about throwing one of those over here?"  
  
*BANG!!* A bullet seared past Gojyo's ear.  
  
"I meant a meat bun, you bastard!"  
  
"If you all don't shut up I swear--!" Sanzo threw a meat bun to Gojyo hard enough so that when he caught it, filling popped from the side. "Aw, mine's cold."   
  
"Then sit on it for a while. Ugh, what I was going to say was that..." He hated having all their eyes on him. Although he was unimaginably relieved that he could look into familiar green, red, and gold orbs once again. "Just...Hurry up healing alright? This place is really grating on my nerves."  
  
"Sanzo...I think I'll heal faster if you give me another meat bun." Goku asked with his hands ready to catch. But he was surprised when Sanzo carefully grabbed the last meat bun and got up. "Sanzo?"  
  
Sanzo walked over to Goku's bed and handed him the meat bun as he looked out the window. "It's the last one. So I guess if you wanted more, I could go back out."  
  
Goku stared up at Sanzo as he took the bun.  
  
"Ah, who am I kidding? Of course you want more." Sanzo turned and walked to the door. "I'll be right back." With that Sanzo left once again, and for once...he didn't have to try to not slam the door.  
  
"Wow," Gojyo started. "Willingly going out of his way for someone else. He really must be bent out of shape."  
  
"Or very relieved," Hakkai offered as he turned to Gojyo. "So how are you feeling?"  
  
"Like shit. And I'm confused as all hell. How did we end up in the hospital after setting up a tent?"  
  
Hakkai looked down. "Sanzo's not saying much...and we don't know what happened either. However, whatever we went through, we came out alive and I have to agree with Sanzo that that is the only thing we should dwell on."  
  
"Poor Sanzo." Goku's voice drifted softly. "He must've gone through a lot of shit with the way he looks. I could see it in his eyes. It was almost like...he'd seen someone die. But when I looked again, just now. He looked like he'd brought that person back from the dead."  
  
Gojyo stared at Goku in amazement, but it wasn't long before he almost split the stitches in his sides laughing.  
  
"What?! Can't you take anything serious?!" Goku shot at Gojyo.  
  
"I can't take you serious when you're being serious! Seriously!" Gojyo winced as he held his sides.  
  
"I hope you rip something, stupid cockroach!!"  
  
"I'll rip *you* a new one if you call me cockroach again, stupid monkey!"  
  
As the insults flew over Hakkai's head to opposite ends of the room, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Well, it's good to know things are back to the way they should be."  
  
Sanzo stood with his back outside the door, still reflecting on what Goku had said. Had his eyes been that obvious? Or was he just loosing his talent of hiding things from the monkey? Whichever it was, Goku had seen what Sanzo was desperately trying to put into words. Sanzo couldn't help but smile. *Thank you, Goku.* With that, the priest headed back out into town.  
  
***  
  
It was another week and a half before the party was back in the jeep and speeding through canyons and around plateaus with the wheels kicking up huge clouds of sand. They all were feeling much better even though their faces and arms were still adorned with small bandages. Sanzo was subliminally watching how Hakkai shifted the gears every now and then, taking mental notes.  
  
"Ugh, another desert." Goku grumbled in the back as he weaved his hand through the air, utterly bored.  
  
" I couldn't say that I mind. Ya know it's weird. I've suddenly developed a tree complex for some reason." Gojyo leaned back and pulled out a hi-lite. He immediately reached for his silver zippo and held a hand over the flame as he inhaled deeply. The lighter clinked shut as it was returned to Gojyo's vest pocket.  
  
"Be it in the desert or not, it's a beautiful day out. Let's just enjoy that instead of the scenery for once, eh?" Hakkai chimed in hoping that he could cast a better mood upon his passengers. But, it was all for nothing as another brawl began to break out in the back.  
  
"Gojyo! Your smoke's blowing in my face!"  
  
"Well if I have to deal with your feet you can deal with my smoke!" With that Gojyo took a long drag and exhaled a cloud of smoke into Goku's face.  
  
Goku shut his eyes tight. "Goddamnit it burns! You're such an asshole!"  
  
"Well you're an annoying little chimp!"  
  
"I'm not a chimp, cockroach!"  
  
"I'm not a cockroach, assface!"  
  
"*You're* the assface!"  
  
"IF YOU BOTH DON'T SHUT UP---" *BANG!!* A bullet flew past Gojyo's ear, leaving his eardrums ringing.  
  
Hakkai turned the volume down on his mental lever as he fazed out the ongoing argument plus one. "Here we go again." He smiled and shifted gears. *But I wouldn't want it any other way than this.*  
  
THE END 


	13. Note

-1Hey everyone! Its been a while since this story has been in circulation so I though I'd throw it back into the stream to be fished out by a reader…..and stuff….yeah anyways..I want to thank every one who took their time to read this. I am very proud of this piece and I hope you enjoyed it! Peace!

I doubt I'll get to write any new material any time soon cause school takes up every waking hour of the day…ahh…so is this wonderful world of an art student!


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